Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Darkness Emerges
by Doffman
Summary: Eva Fanfic; Two new pilots emerge, both bearing dark pasts. AsukaShinji fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Ohayo! Omeni kakarete ureshii desu! (I am most happy to meet you!)

This is a story written by ME! Doffman the Great! 

Ahahaha, AHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Lucca Ashtear is my Idol!)

I have this little forward here to tell you about how much of a bastardization of the real anime series this story is! This story has most of the main character breakdowns cut out of it, so everything is peachy at the moment. 

There are a few things that I'm not sure about, and if you see any errors, PLEASE e-mail me immediately! That's [Knapdaddy@Hotmail.com][1]! Praise or constructive criticism is most welcome! 

DISCLAIMER: Evangelion is owned by GAINAX, not me.

On with the story!

Chapter 1:

April 9, 2015

"Guten Morgen, Shinji!" Asuka called out from across the courtyard. Shinji took note of the cheerfulness of her voice, and suddenly shivered.

"G-guten Morgen…" He said fearfully. If she was this happy, and she had decided to talk to him, that meant that she was about to tease him, abuse him, or worse.

"What's wrong, Shinji? Why are you acting so shy?" she asked with complete innocence. Shinji could see in her eyes the mischievous gleam. If that gleam hadn't been there, he could have stared into those eyes for hours…

"N-no reason. Just… N-nervous about meeting the Sixth Child, that's all." Shinji said, not totally lying. The last of the Eva Pilots, Kaoru, had been an Angel in disguise. It had left a great many questions in his mind about a great many things…

"I'm not! Maybe there will finally be a male pilot that ISN'T a stooge! Unless they picked Kensuke! {Shiver} I hope NERV wouldn't be that irresponsible!" Asuka cried with fear. For once, Shinji had to agree. The thought of Kensuke with any form of weapon capable of doing as much damage as an EVA was terrifying.

"I wonder where Ayanami was. She wasn't in class today." Shinji said absent-mindedly. Asuka suddenly smacked Shinji on the back of the head.

"I'm sure WONDER GIRL will be just fine without you mooning over her every second, Baka Shinji! We have to go to NERV for Sync testing now, remember?" Asuka said viciously. "Rei probably went strait there, deciding that she didn't need to go to the first half of school! I don't know WHY Misato insisted that we go here today!" Asuka said, frustrated. Shinji desperately tried to stop the wound on the back of his head from bleeding. His efforts were, sadly, in vain.

Even after they arrived at NERV to start the sync testing, there was still no sign of Rei. "Uh… Dr. Akagi? Where's Rei?" Shinji asked.

"Rei and the new pilot will be here shortly. For now, why don't you change into your plug suits?" Ritsuko said from behind her clipboard. Shinji and Asuka changed and returned to the Cage, by that time Rei had made her appearance, along with a boy with blond hair. He shuffled his feet quite a bit and stayed noticeably close to Rei.

"Ah! Shinji, Asuka! I would like you to meet Dracan, the 6th Child. Drac, this is Asuka, and this is Shinji." Ritsuko said. Drac extended his hand shyly, and Shinji shook it firmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Drac." Shinji said cheerfully.

"Um… Yeah… Nice to meet you, too." He said quietly. He was obviously very nervous.

"Hello, Drac! I am the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu! You've heard of me, of course." Asuka said grandiosely. Drac just shrugged, signifying that he had not. "You've never heard of me, Pilot of Eva Unit 02, Second Child? Greatest Eva pilot of all time?"

"Sorry…" Drac said with an apologetic grin.

"Where have they been keeping you?!? Have you been locked in a basement for the past five years or something?!?" Asuka growled. Before he could respond, Ritsuko clapped a hand over his mouth and began to drag him off.

"I have to show the Sixth Child to the Locker Rooms! Coming Rei? You have to change into your plug suit as well!" Ritsuko said quickly.

"Yes, Ma'am." Rei followed Ritsuko down the hall, dragging Drac along with them. Shinji blinked a few times.

"What's going on here? Something really big is happening, and I want to know what it is!" Asuka said with spite. "Why did Dr. Ikagi act so strangely?"

Shinji, of course, really didn't care. All he wanted to do was go home and take a nap. 

***

"My first activation test… I wonder what it will feel like once this baby turns on…" Drac asked casually to no one in particular. Suddenly, the small plug began to full up with liquid. Drac started to panic.

"Um… Rei? Dr. Akagi? ANYONE? HELP! THE PLUG IS FILLING UP WITH WATER! I'M GONNA DROWN!" Drac took a deep breath and held it. As the water rushed in over his head, he frantically attacked the hatch to escape the plug.

He held his breath for over a minute, but after that, he couldn't help it, and his lungs took the liquid in.

***

"My sync ratio has sky rocketed! I've increased by 5 points! How about YOU, Shinji?" Asuka asked Shinji mockingly as they went to get changed.

"The Third Child is presently 3 points higher than the Second Child. Rei has increased to 2 points higher than the Second Child, making her 1 point away from Shinji's score. Sixth Child, Drac, is presently 20 points lower than Asuka. Not bad for a first try, I'd say. It seems that Asuka is the under achiever here." Ritsuko said with a strait face. Asuka screamed and yelled bloody murder at Ritsuko, which Dr. Akagi took in stride.

"Someone could have told me that you would be attempting to drown me!" Drac said indignantly crossing his arms across his chest.

"You did not drown. The LCL in the Eva supplied you with all the oxygen that you required. You panicked and hyperventilated." Rei said calmly, walking beside him. Drac smiled nervously.

"S-sorry…" Drac said quietly. Rei looked at him with her head tilted slightly to the right.

"Why are you apologizing?" Rei asked.

"Well… I…" Drac said, baffled.

"If there is nothing to apologize for, than do not apologize." Rei said, turning her head forward. Asuka nodded her agreement.

"Hear that, Shinji? Even Wonder Girl agrees! Spineless little boys that apologize all the time are no fun to be around!" Asuka said in a snobbish voice.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" Shinji asked defensively.

"Simple. You're a spineless little coward that runs away at the first chance of escape. A wuss, to use simpler words," Asuka said matter-of-factly.

"I am not a wuss! I stand up for myself!" Shinji yelled. Asuka made like she was going to hit him with her balled up fist, and Shinji covered his head with his hands.

"I rest my case! THE INVINCIBLE IKARI SHINJI IS A WUSS! A PANSY! A WITTLE BABY!" Asuka screamed with amusement in her voice. Shinji began to clench and unclench his fist. "Aw… Is de wittle baby getting angwy? Would he wike his baba?" Asuka asked Shinji in a baby voice. It had just occurred to him that Rei, Drac, and Dr. Akagi had kept walking, while he and Asuka had stopped. A small voice in his mind cried out, 'NO WITNESSES!' but Shinji did his best to ignore it. He couldn't help but begin to grit his teeth.

"Shut up!" Shinji said loudly. Asuka smiled broadly.

"What's wrong Shinji? Can't take a few insults? Or is the Invincible Ikari Shinji too weak to stand up to words, much less Angels?" Asuka smiled broadly, glaring at Shinji with an evil glare.

"Stop calling me that!" Shinji shouted shaking a fist at her.

"Oh! Did I hit a nerve? Are you going to try to hit me now? It would be like a Hentai like you to hit a girl! I bet you get a thrill out of beating girls! It probably turns you on! Or, maybe…" Asuka's smile grew bigger. "Maybe, you like beating yourself—" Shinji ran as fast as he could, away from the torment, away from Asuka.

***

"Running away, Shinji? That's what you're best at, isn't it?" Asuka screamed after him. Shinji was such a wuss. The statement immediately caused Shinji to stop in his tracks. Asuka didn't know why she was laying it on so thick today, but she didn't care, either. He was a little wuss and, until Shinji proved that he actually had developed a spine, she was going to tease and poke and humiliate him for all he was worth.

That last comment really got to him, eh…?

"You heard me! Spineless, Pathetic, Worthless, Baka Shinji is only good at running away like a little coward!" Shinji approached Asuka with a menacing look on his face. "What? Are you here to apologize? 'I'm sorry for being a coward, Asuka! Please forgive me!' Or maybe you're just going to break down and cry! Whatcha gonna do, Shinji-kun." Asuka said putting extra emphasis on 'Kun'.

Shinji glared at her as though he was going to murder her in the hallway at this very moment. He looked her strait in the eyes balled his fist and…

His face softened greatly. He then responded in a weak, defeated voice, "I apologize for yelling at you and telling you to shut up, Asuka. We should really get changed out of our plug suits now." Shinji said, and walked away. That wasn't what Asuka had expected at all. She didn't expect him to cower away when he was so angry. She expected…

'Well, I expected something! I expected for him to yell at me some more, or sock me in the face, or both! Not, "I'm sorry, Asuka"! How disappointing! I'm not going to get any sort of reaction like this… Maybe if…' Asuka's smile expanded to the type of smile that you usually see the villains on old cartoons use.

***

That bitch.

Shinji then decided that the true female dogs of the world might be offended if she were called a bitch. In any event, bitch was to light of a word for her. Her bitchiness extended beyond all boundaries of space and time.

She had never gone this far with her taunting before, and Shinji had been ready to break her nose. No amount of thought had been able to stray his mind from the act of assault that he was about to commit. The fact that she was a girl would not even avert his urge to blacken her eye. He had tightened his fist, and nearly reared back, but…

He looked into her eyes and saw a gleam there that he had only seen once before. When he had dived into the volcano to save her. It was a look of… Admiration? Joy? Gratitude? None of them fit. But all it took was that gleam to destroy his resolve and make him see how beautiful she was.

That it would be a sin to damage such an elegant face. Added to the fact that, in all reality, he really didn't want to hit Asuka, his will to cause her pain crumbled and was blown away in the wind of sadness. Shinji had since changed and gone home. He found himself staring at the ceiling of his bedroom with contempt. 'How does she always manage to do this to me?' he asked weakly. He would have nightmares about her again. And ever so sweet dreams…

***

April 10, 2015

"Shinji-kun! Wake up! It's time for school! And it's your turn to make breakfast!" Asuka called cheerily. Shinji covered his face with a pillow and let out a sigh.

"It's always my turn to make breakfast…" Shinji mumbled from underneath his pillow. Asuka removed the pillow and got 2 inches from his face.

"Do I hear complaining?" Asuka asked, irritated. In a lower voice, she said, "It's actually Misato's turn to make breakfast. Are you sure you want to even ATTEMPT to digest anything she puts in front of you?" Shinji quickly got up, and headed to the bathroom. Shinji definitely didn't want Misato cooking. Something that Misato made would be liable to digest him from the inside out.

He took a quick shower, changed quickly into his school uniform, and quickly made breakfast before Misato awoke. And he tried to be quick about it.

Misato crawled into the room, searching endlessly for her morning beer. The three-toed sloth probably took lessons…

Misato found the Refrigerator, opened it, removed a can of beer, and took a long, 30-second swig of the fresh, mountain brewed, urine-flavored liquid.

(If you want to drink something that tastes like the liquid excretions of a horse, you should drink the real thing. It's cheaper, better for you, and you don't loose your judgement. Of course, you could do what my friend Greg does, and drink horse urine when he's too piss* drunk to tell the difference…)

(It's a PUN! A play on words! I'm so funny**! HAHAHA!)

(*Not really…)

"YEEEEAAAAAAAAHH! That's the STUFF! Nothing like a little sake to get the morning rolling! What's for breakfast, Shinji?" Misato asked vigorously.

Shinji was about to take his first bite, when he realized something odd.

Asuka had called him "Shinji-kun". Without contempt, or malice. Her voice wasn't sinister or cruel. It had, in all actuality, been cheery.

This startling revelation made him drop his fork. It hit his plate with a loud clang, causing attention to be drawn towards him. He found that he was now staring at Asuka.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Asuka asked curiously.

"You called me 'Shinji-kun' when you woke me up this morning…" Shinji said with shock. 

"Yeah, so? Why not? You're my friend, aren't you?" Asuka asked innocently. Misato spit out a large portion of her can of beer, spraying it all over Pen Pen, much to his dismay. "What?" Asuka asked.

"SQUAK!" Pen Pen cried angrily, more about the waste of the beer than becoming wet with alcohol and spittle.

"Went down the wrong pipe… Have to get ready for work now." Misato said with avoidance.

"But Misato, it's your day off. You don't have to work today." Asuka said, suspiciously.

"Going back to bed. Good night. Have a good day at school." Misato rushed out of the room. Both Asuka and Shinji sweat-dropped.

"Um… Maybe we should get going…" Shinji said, but immediately regretted saying it. Asuka was probably going to hit him and say, "I know that, Baka!" or something similar.

"You're right, Shinji. We're going to be late if we don't hurry." She said picking up her bag. "Listen, Shinji, I know I'm beautiful, but please don't stare, and please close your mouth." Shinji picked his chin up off the floor, grabbed his bag, and walked with Asuka to school.

***

Drac pushed the doorbell for the 40th time, and Rei still hadn't come to the door. He couldn't think of any reason why she didn't answer. Maybe she was already gone and had headed to school already. Drac stood there, thinking about it for some time.

Drac decided that, if the door was unlocked, he would enter and call for her. He reached for the door handle just as the door opened, showing Rei in her school uniform, ready for school.

"Oh. Drac. Would you like something?" Rei asked in her monotone voice.

"I just wanted to walk with you to school. I rang the doorbell, but you didn't answer…" Drac trailed off.

"The doorbell is broken." Rei said, walking past him. Drac followed and they walked down the sidewalk together.

"So, Rei… How are you today?" Drac asked, nervously.

"I am well." Rei said, looking strait ahead. Drac sighed.

'What's wrong with her?' He thought. 'She was never been this quiet before… I wonder how I can make her feel better.' Drac felt an idea formulate in his head, and he acted upon it. Rei's hand felt warm to the touch, and the instant tightening of grip from Rei indicated that she didn't mind. Rei looked at Drac, and smiled.

***

Prepared for another boring day of class, Kensuke took his normal seat and prepared himself for a long nap. Since Touji had been in the hospital nearly 3 months, the Three Stooges had become short a member. Supposedly, Touji was undergoing therapy for the artificial limbs that he was given, but Kensuke knew that something else was going on. He had no power over the situation, so Kensuke decided to let it drop until he could talk to Shinji about it.

After a few minutes, Asuka entered the room, immediately followed by a severely puzzled Shinji. Shinji took a seat next to Kensuke. "Hi, Shinji! What's up?" Kensuke asked. Shinji had been so deep in thought that he jumped at the mention of his name.

"Oh! Hi, Kensuke! I'm thinking about stuff…" Shinji trailed off.

"Like what?" Kensuke asked.

"Uh, well… Asuka called me her friend this morning…" Kensuke had a sub-second blackout. "Kensuke? Are you okay?"

"Asuka said what?" Kensuke asked in a whisper.

"No, she didn't say 'What?' She said that I was her friend. It surprised me greatly." Shinji said nervously, hoping that Asuka couldn't hear their conversation.

"I knew something was wrong with her! When she wasn't fazed by Kaji's death, I KNEW she had flipped! Has a few screws loose! Lost her marbles!" Kensuke said loudly. Asuka, hearing her name spoken, stood up and walked over to Kensuke's desk.

"Why are you guys talking about me?" She asked.

"We-we-we-we-we-we-we were just commenting about your lovely… uh… fashion sense! Yes! You always wear such great clothes!" Shinji said frightened.

"Really? Thanks! …Shinji, I asked you once before not to stare! It's embarrassing! I won't even ASK you Kensuke! The next time you stare at me, I will rend you in two with my FINGERNAILS! Anyway, it's almost time for class! See ya, Shinji-kun!" Asuka winked at him and smiled. She walked to her seat quickly, and sat down.

"Shinji, she has lost her only marble. Several screws have fallen out of her head. I think she's less frightening when she's evil." Kensuke typed out on his computer and sent it to Shinji.

"I kind of like her better when she's not teasing me." Shinji typed back and closed his laptop slowly.

***

The lecture was long and drawn out, but it was mostly boring. When the lunch bell finally rang, students leaped from their seats with haste. Shinji ate his lunch quietly next to Kensuke, mindlessly devouring whatever creature was in his lunch.

Shinji snapped out of his empty-mindedness, and shifted to sheer terror as he realized that Asuka had just taken a seat next to him, and began to eat her lunch quietly.

Shinji was terrified mostly because she had a gigantic smile on her face. Shinji panicked internally.

"Er… Hi, Asuka! How are you?" Shinji asked nervously. Kensuke slowly slid away, taking great efforts not to make eye contact.

"I'm doing great, Shinji-kun! How are YOU?" She asked cheerfully. Asuka was definitely acting strangely, but Shinji kind of enjoyed her non-violent side. It made him think less about worrying how to avoid triggering her wrath, and more about how beautiful she was.

"I feel slightly better than I did this morning, thanks." Shinji said, beginning to relax. His mind told him that this was some form of trick, but Shinji's heart told him that he really didn't care if it WAS a trick or not. "So, Asuka, what's up?"

***

Shinji talked to Asuka for the whole lunch period about the Sixth Child and Touji, and other similar topics. When they realized that lunch was over, they quickly ran back to the classroom to make it just before they were tardy.

Asuka and Shinji also talked to each other on the walk home in great length. Shinji liked to talk to Asuka when she wasn't being violent.

He also loved to gaze into her beautiful blue eyes...

He had enjoyed himself so much, that he hadn't even realized Rei's absence.

***

Drac and Rei walked side by side, hand in hand down the road to the school. Rei liked the feel of her hand in Drac's and she also liked Drac. He was always nice to her, and always explained everything out for her when she asked. This was something that he would not do for anyone else, and it made her feel special.

The true reason that she had spent a lot of her time, at least an hour a day for the past 2 years, with Drac was solely because he needed her. Drac was very mentally unstable, and seemed to, most of the time, stabilize when she entered the room. Whenever she visited him, he brightened greatly and sat as close to her as possible, even coming as close as holding her hand on more than one occasion.

Today, however, Drac seemed distant and far off. Rei was caught off guard when he stopped suddenly, and he began to stare at a piece of paper on the ground. He whimpered, and then screamed when the wind picked it up and blew it towards them. Drac ran off into an alley, Rei chasing after him. When she caught up, he was curled up into a ball, crying.

Rei walked closer to Drac meaning to reassure him when she realized that he wasn't really crying. The laughter escalated from a small chuckle to a maniacal laughter in mere seconds. Rei took out her cellphone and dialed Dr. Ikagi.

"Hello?" Came Ritsuko's voice.

"Dr. Ikagi. This is Rei."

"Let me guess. Drac is having problems."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Okay. I'll send someone to pick you two up. You won't be able to go to school today."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I would like to ask a question before you hang up, though."

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Is he saying anything legible?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"What is he saying?"

"He is repeating the same thing over and over again." Rei said. "He is saying, 'The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.'"

The End of Chapter 1

   [1]: mailto:Knapdaddy@Hotmail.com



	2. Chapter 2

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

If you're reading the second chapter, that means that I actually caught someone's interest! I am a success as a writer! Whoo-hoo! If you like the story, or you have any constructive criticism, send it to [KNapDaddy@Hotmail.com][1]. Also, my Yahoo IM Account is KNapDaddy. Please don't send stuff like, "This sucks" or anything with no point. If you do, however, tell me WHY it sucks. That way I can fix it. Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 2

"What cha making, Shinji-kun?" Asuka asked sweetly. Shinji was in the kitchen cooking some ramen.

"Just cooking some ramen." Shinji said. Asuka came in the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"You're not making it the way MISATO likes it, are you?" Asuka asked with a twinge of fear. Shinji shuddered.

"No, I don't want to get food poisoning. Again." Shinji said, smiling. Asuka giggled at the comment. Shinji was having problems getting used to Nice Asuka, but for the most part, he was doing okay.

"You're funny. So when's dinner ready?" she asked, trying to look around Shinji to see the meal preparation. 

"Now." Shinji brought Asuka her meal and took a seat across the table from her with his own food.

"So, Shinji-kun, do you know where Misato is?" Asuka asked with only a hint of curiosity.

"She said she had to work late today. She won't be home 'til midnight at least." Shinji said, taking a long slurp of ramen. He looked across the table at Asuka: how her hair was slightly messy(she had just taken a nap), her eyes were shimmering with light, her cheeks still partially reddened, and couldn't help but gaze at this vision of loveliness.

"Shinji, stop staring! It's embarrasing." Asuka said with a smile and a blush.

"Ah, but who could not help but marvel with awe at such magnificence and grace?" Shinji said jokingly.

"Oh, stop!" Asuka said. Shinji stopped. "Why'd you stop?" Asuka asked, pouting. 

"Well, you told me to." Shinji said with a smirk.

"If I told you to jump off a cliff, would you do that too?" Asuka said indignantly.

"Of course! I could never say 'No' to you, Asuka!" Shinji said romantically.

"Go jump off a cliff." Asuka tested.

"Let me go get my shoes…." Shinji said with a grin while getting up and heading for the door.

"I was only kidding, silly! Get back over here!" Asuka said with mock anger. Shinji sat back down and sighed. It was much easier to deal with Asuka when she wasn't threatening his life.

***

"It appears that his mental condition has improved, but that isn't saying much, Commander. He continues to laugh hysterically and attack the walls." Dr. Akagi reported calmly.

"When will Dracan be well enough to pilot?" Ikari asked.

"It's not that easy. He is, for lack of a better explanation, totally insane. It could, and probably will, be years before he is well enough. We run the risk of him flipping out and start blasting everything in sight." Dr. Akagi continued. "The First Child will be ready to pilot before he is. I give him five years, minimum."

"We must speed up the process. Dracan must be ready by the time Rei is capable of piloting." Gendo said.

"I will do what I can. Maybe if he were to talk to someone more his own age?" Ritsuko said before starting to leave.

"Doctor." Ritsuko stopped and turned around. "Rei has a calming effect on some people. Maybe you should have her talk to him." Gendo said, a smirk forming behind his hands.

"I don't think that's wise. A few minutes ago, he was screaming about the walls trying to eat him again. I guess I can give it a try…" Ritsuko walked in the direction of the room where they kept Dracan. She called Rei on her Cellphone and asked Rei to meet her there.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Rei asked as Ritsuko approached. Ritsuko had not expected Rei to get there so quickly. She expected that Rei would have to find the place first.

"I would like you to talk to the boy in the room here." Ritsuko ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Rei said as she opened the door to the dark room and entered. Ritsuko watched the exchange of words via the security camera.

"Hello, Dracan." Rei said. Ritsuko found it odd that Rei knew his name when she had not told her.

"Hello, Rei." Drac said quietly, gazing at the security camera in the corner with contempt.

"Why are you staring at the security camera?" Rei asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it Rei? It watches me like a hawk! I move one way…" Drac slid to the left. "The thing follows me. If I move the other way…" Drac slid to the right. "It still follows me! Upon heavy analysis, I've concluded thusly. That is the eye." Drac said, pointing to the camera.

"The eye of what?" Rei asked.

"The evil monster, of course! That over there…" Drac pointed to the door. "That is the mouth. Dr. Akagi is some extension of the monster, trying to lure me into its mouth. There is, however, one factor not calculated yet." Drac said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What is that, Drac?" Rei said, slightly smiling.

"You." Drac said, pointing at her. "I can't make heads or tails of you. Are you another fiend like Dr. Akagi, or something else? Maybe you are one who suffers through being digested by the monster. Who escapes on occasion. None of it fits. So my question to you, Miss Rei, is this. What are you in relation to me?" He asked the question as though it was the most important thing in the world. Rei looked baffled.

'This boy triggers emotion into Rei… I'll have to consult Commander Ikari about this…' Ritsuko thought.

"Me?" Rei said, suddenly developing a warm smile. Her voice held emotion. She was amused by the question that she had been asked. She walked up to him and took his hand. "I'm your friend, Drac." This caused Drac to smile. Drac's face suddenly became troubled. Ritsuko knew what it was. 

Another one of his theories was smashed like glass. Now she knew who had been doing the hard parts…

Many times Ritsuko would come to see Drac and find that a theory of how everything went was gone and he had to formulate new ones. That was the only time she had ever made progress. His theories had been getting less strange as of late, due to the hard work she had been putting in while he had no hypothesis.

Ritsuko realized that she might make the deadline if she could recruit Rei's help on the matter. She vaguely recognized that Rei and Drac were talking about something else, so she shifted her attention back to the screen.

"What's it like in there?" Drac asked, pointing towards the door.

"In where? You mean OUT there, don't you?" Rei giggled. Ritsuko sat there gaping. "This is just a room, Drac. They put you in here because you went insane. Because you have theories saying that the outside world is trying to eat you! Out there is NERV Headquarters. Outside of NERV is the Geofront. Outside of that is Japan. Outside of that, there is the whole world." Rei said grandiosely. Drac slowly tilted his head downwards, deep in thought.

"World. Being a word generally meaning the planet that 'sane' people know as Earth, but that is not the exact definition of the word. The true definition of the 'world' is all that is known by the person referring to the word. To a learned man, the world consists of all known Outer Space. To a sheltered child, the world would be his house, and maybe his school.

"If the world is out there, Rei, tell me. What do you consider as the world? Were you referring to the planet, as the standard use of the word, or something greater?" Drac asked philosophically. Rei smiled, a slight gleam of mischief gleamed in her eye.

"Well, Drac there is the planet out there, as I was referring to, but there is something greater out there than the large ball of dirt we call Earth. There are forests brimming with life. There are the roaring seas, filled with marine life. Even the deserts have the wonders of life spawning in them. Above all are Human kind, and its achievements. Art, Technology, Literature, and much more exist out there. Children play happily on a warm summer's day. Lovers exchange kisses over their passion for each other. However, you cannot look at the good without looking at the bad.

"War, Death, Famine, Pestilence, they all reign over many in the world, as well as Hate jealousy, anger, sadness and depression. Being trapped in here and experiencing nothing is far worse than experiencing both the good and the bad of the outside world." Rei said, trying to outthink him with even more reflective words.

"Having no emotion is far worse than experiencing both the good and the bad of yourself." Drac countered, knowing that he had defeated his friend. Rei pouted, and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, so you won. Again. Can't you just, for once, let me win a debate?" Rei asked, pleadingly.

"Ah, but then you wouldn't really be winning, would you? You end up shattering my theories plenty of times. Isn't that winning, Rei?" Drac pointed out.

"No, because that's crazy talk. I want to beat you at something when you aren't talking about walls eating you, or the world being a giant hovercraft, and that we are all eels. It's easy to win when someone is so blatantly wrong that anyone could point out the flaws." Rei said beginning to shift back to her monotone voice.

"Yes, well, Rei, do you think that you could talk Dr. Akagi into getting me a bed? I know the room is padded, but I want to sleep in a bed again." Drac said calmly. "That way the mice will have friends."

"What mice?" Rei asked.

"The ones that live in the ceiling, of course. They keep on telling me that they are lonely, and if Dr. Akagi brought a bed in, the mice could move in under there and have friends." Drac said in a distant voice. He chuckled as if he said something funny. This brought on a laugh, which then developed into a sinister cackle that echoed in the room. Rei pushed herself away from the wall on which she had been leaning, and left the room quietly. Ritsuko stood up to meet her and ask her questions. 

"Why did you leave, Rei?" Ritsuko asked.

"I cannot talk to him when he is like that. When I do, I get no response." Rei stated.

"When did you meet Dracan before this, Rei?" Ritsuko asked, tilting her head slightly, placing the pencil in her hand upon her lips.

"We have talked many times." Rei said.

"When was the first, and what happened?" Ritsuko asked, taking out her notebook and poised her pencil over the paper.

"Two years ago. He was crying, and you had left the door open. He said something about mouths and walls, then he wrapped his arms around me and cried some more. This is the most responsive I have ever seen him, Dr. Akagi." Rei said.

"Hmm… Does Commander Ikari know about this?"

"He said that I could talk to him if I didn't interfere with your work."

"I see. Thank you, Rei. You may go."

"Yes, Ma'am."

***

Ritsuko remembered the first time he saw Rei interact with Drac, and it had been shocking on more than one level. Rei expressed emotion, Drac had even appeared sane for several minutes. Drac was a genius, with an I. Q. well over 400. But that still didn't change the fact that he was crazy as peanut brittle.

"I KNEW he was faking! I told Brian that he was still mentally unstable, but NO! Commander Ikari listens to an AMERICAN before he listens to me! I'm going to have a word with Dr. Thomas." Ritsuko said, presumably, to Rei, who was standing in the corner by Drac's curled up form.

"Hello, Bradley? This is Ritsuko. I need to talk to Brian right away…. What?" Rituko's face flashed with shock. "So soon…? What about 'Allen'? Is he suffering any mental trauma…? Hmm… Very well. Has the Commander been informed…? Good. Everything's been arranged…? Okay. I'll see you when you arrive, then. Good bye." Ritsuko hung up the phone. She sat down, deep in thought, and looked over to the children once and a while.

"Rei, I've received some bad news. You remember Doctor Brian Thomas, right?" Ritsuko asked her calmly.

Drac had been listening into the conversation that they had been having. He thought back to when he had first met Brian, and what had happened…

***

"What happened to your parents, Drac? Just answer the question! It's not that difficult of one!" Ritsuko yelled at him in a loud voice. Drac had been slowly backing away at her response to the fact that he would really not prefer to talk about his parents. He didn't even realize that he was doing it until his back hit the wall.

"It is for me…." Drac said sadly. "I just want to forget, alright?" He said firmly.

"Fine! You can stay in here for the rest of your life! Honestly, I can't deal with you anymore!" Ritsuko burst out of the room with a rage. Drac heard her having a conversation, loudly, with a male voice. The voice was calm and comforting, yet firm at this point. Suddenly, Ritsuko shouted, "No, you may NOT talk to the boy! He's a pest!"

Drac heard another voice join in on the conversation, Rei. Her calm, quiet voice spoke, and he heard Ritsuko's voice change from anger to depression. Rei entered the room, along with a tall, middle aged man. He sat on the floor in front of Drac, smiling slightly.

"Hello, Drac. My name's Brian. How are you today?" He asked in a friendly voice, though not very fluent Japanese.

"I'm well, thank you." Drac said looking at the ceiling. Once he had thought that talking mice lived above him, for some reason. Well, he had gotten his bed, along with a chair, though he usually sat on the ground or on the bed. Rei walked over from where she was standing, and sat next to Drac on the floor.

He felt a growing urge to reach over and take her hand, but he fought it and faced the man known as Brian. "Is there something you want, sir?" Drac asked politely.

"No, I'm just here to talk… I hear that Ritsuko has quite a temper when dealing with you, for some reason. What do you say to her to get her so riled up, anyway?" Brian asked, tipping his glasses slightly.

"It told her that I didn't want to talk about my parents to her." Drac responded.

"Hmm… Sensitive subject? I understand. My parents died when I was young, too. My older brother, Brad, had to raise me until I was old enough to live on my own… Anyway, is there any particular reason you won't tell her, or is it that you don't want to talk about it in general?" Brian asked.

"Actually, I just plain don't like the woman." Drac said plainly. This upset Rei.

"You promised me that you would cooperate with her, Drac." Rei said in a slightly irritated tone, hardly branching from her normal voice.

"Well, I'm sorry, Rei, but there is something about her that I don't trust. I can't pour out all my closest kept secrets to someone that I can't trust." Drac said calmly, imitating Rei's voice.

"Do you trust me?" Rei asked.

"More than anyone else I know." Drac said.

"Answer the question, Drac." Rei said firmly

"I did!" Drac said defensively.

"No, you didn't. You don't trust anyone else you know. Saying that you trust me more than anyone else you know isn't saying much. I ask again. Do you trust me?" Rei finished and waited for an answer. Drac hesitated a few seconds before responding.

"Yes. I trust you with my life, Rei." Drac said, barely a whisper. 

'My life, and my heart.' He said to himself. Rei smiled slightly, and took his hand.

"Why don't you tell me, then? It would calm down Dr. Akagi quite a bit." Rei said, in a comfortable voice.

"A: There is a stranger sitting here with a pad of paper and a pencil. B: The Security Camera is watching our every move." Drac gestured at the objects in question.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Pardon me! I'll just leave now!" The man said, obviously offended. Brian quietly left the room and closed the door.

"Well?" Rei asked.

"B." Drac said.

"What?" Rei asked, tensing.

"The camera." Drac said.

"Oh…" Rei said relieved for some reason. "Security cameras can't hear, you know. They're just visual." Rei said nervously. Drac wondered why she was nervous, but he ignored it.

"Well… Okay." Drac said reluctantly. Rei smiled, slid closer, and listened to every word said.

"Well, my father was a Police Officer from America, and my mother was a nurse from Japan. They got married and lived in Tokyo. When I was 6 years old, they split up. I ended up living with my mother, who a year later got married to a Scientist, which I forget his name. They had a young child together. I also forget his name. This was a long time ago, and my memories are hazy…

"When I was 8 years old, my mother died when she took a sickness from the hospital she worked at. My Father, who had since moved back to America, wrote to me telling me that he would come to see me. He never arrived. The day before his scheduled vacation, a serial killer killed him in a shoot out. To make things even worse at the time, my stepbrother died from the same sickness that mother did....

"When my half brother died, My stepfather lost it completely, for he had been teetering on the edge when my mother had died. He left the country, leaving me behind. I had no one left. I had been sitting in the house for three days, alone, when I realized that something had gone wrong, I don't know what happened after that, but I ended up in this room. Was here for Two months before I met you…" Drac went silent. Rei had started to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Drac…! I didn't know it was so bad for you…! I shouldn't have asked!" Rei said, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Don't worry about it… You can ask me anything, Rei…." Drac said warmly. Rei smiled sadly.

"Oh, Drac." She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, and he gratefully returned it. What really surprised Drac now was the fact that he had begun to cry as well. Suddenly, all of the theories he had been concocting, all the meanings of existence he had contemplated, they all left his mind.

Rei now demanded all of his senses. The smell of her shampoo drifted to from her with delightful fragrance. Her hair felt smooth as silk. Her face was a thing of beauty that the greatest artist in the world could not have created.

Drac wanted to hold her close forever. Drac felt something begin to pull at his mind. He had no idea what it was, but it seemed eerily familiar. The Theories were trying to force their way back in… Drac felt the feeling tug at him so hard that he couldn't prevent it. It hurt his mind so much…

He found himself laughing maniacally at nothing in particular. He saw Rei begin to cry hysterically, and then she shouted at him. "Stop it! Stop laughing, Baka!"

Drac tried his hardest to stop laughing, but to no avail. Rei screamed, reared back and slapped him full in the face. Drac fell backwards onto his back, the fresh palm print still burning on his cheek. He was no longer laughing. Rei rushed to his side.

"I'm sorry, Drac! I'm so sorry! I just lost it… I shouldn't have hit you…" Rei was interrupted.

"Yes, you should have, Rei. And thank you for that… It's gone now…" Drac said nervously.

Drac smiled.

Rei smiled.

Drac lost track of the time, holding her hand and staring into her eyes…

Rei…

It pains her to see you do as such.

Who are you? What do you want?

Consider me as the white mouse in the ceiling.

What do you want? Why are you in my head?

I don't know why you hear things… Maybe you are insane.

I am the sanest person on the planet.

Yes, but the regular populous doesn't know that. You don't have to really be like them to be aloud in their world. You just have to pretend to be.

What's so important out there that I don't have in here?

You have always loved nature, Drac. You could sit under a tree… With Rei…

…

Just pretend to be like them, Drac. That is all that is necessary.

What must I do?

****

Listen carefully…

***

Those two words had greatly affected his life. The voice in his head that had been heard above all the other voices of happiness and sorrow in his mind. It helped him greatly. But he still had a hard time ignoring the voices when the great voice and Rei weren't there together.

Brian…

***

"I don't get it!" Ritsuko complained. "He was insane one minute, and now, he passes every test that I give him! How is that possible?" Brian smiled slightly.

"Love can do miracles, Ritsuko. Maybe Drac has realized that Rei doesn't like it when he flips out, so he repaired his mind on his own. You never know." Brian said.

"I know, it's just weird… We gave him almost a month and he still hasn't had any more of his laugh attacks… I guess that I can report to Commander Ikari that we now have our Sixth Child…" Ritsuko said. "I take it that there's no chance that you'll be staying to help me with the report?" Brian shook his head.

"I have to head back home quickly. Brad tells me that there's trouble there." Brian said sadly. "I should go say goodbye to the kids now. Can't leave without saying goodbye. Is Rei around?"

"She went in to see Drac awhile ago. She hasn't come out yet." Ritsuko pointed to the monitor absently with a pencil. Rei sat on the bed with Drac, her head on his shoulder. Brian smiled and entered the room.

"Hey, kids! What's up?" Brian asked.

"Hello, Mr. Brian." They both said in unison. Brian laughed.

"How many times have I told you? Call me Brian and forget the Mister! Makes me feel old." Brian shuddered.

"Well, you ARE 39 years old. That's almost over the hill." Drac said jokingly. Rei very lightly smacked him on the back of the head.

"I guess that it's true… Damn, it's depressing, though!" Brian said jokingly.

"Brian, stop teaching the kids bad language!" Ritsuko's voice came over the intercom.

"Oh, shut you asshole, you dumb bitch!" Drac shouted at Ritsuko. Rei's next smack on the back of Drac's head wasn't as light. "OW!" Drac cried as he was sent, face first to the floor. Rei looked up at the security camera and smiled broadly. Brian heard a distant laughing.

"Anyway, kids, I'm afraid I have some good news, some bad news, and a choice for Drac. Which do you want to here first?" Brian asked.

"Good news, of course!" Rei said.

"Well, the good news is that Dr. Akagi finally declared that Drac is sane."

"Here that Drac? You're sane! Dr. Akagi said so!" Rei said cheerily.

"Great a nut says I'm sane…" Drac whispered to Brian.

"What was that?" Rei asked viciously.

"Nothing, Nothing. I was talking about Cashews…" Drac said. "Anyway, The bad news, if you please?"

"The bad news is that I have to go back to America for awhile. I'll be back in a few months, though. I got a job working under Dr. Akagi. She and my brother, Brad, we're going to be her Executive Assistants, or something like that."

"Come back soon. Keep in touch. See ya around. That sort of stuff." Drac said, sitting down. Rei got upset.

"Drac!" Rei put her hands on her hips.

"What? It's not like we're saying goodbye or anything. Just see you later. Right Brian?"

Brian laughed, saying, "Too true, Drac. Too True. Anyway, now we move on to the choice. But first, a quiz. Drac, why do you think NERV has you down here instead of in a normal institution?"

"My stepfather had connections?" Drac said, not knowing the answer.

"No. Though I am severely peeved at the man for not looking out for you. He's a college of mine, you see. I'll have a talk with him, Drac. Don't worry." Brian said. Drac immediately grew cold and angry.

"I say don't bother. The bastard left me here all alone, so I don't need him. I don't need anyone. No one except…" Drac trailed off, looking at the floor. Brian quickly changed the subject.

"The reason that NERV has you down here is this. You are capable of piloting an Eva." Rei gasped, and Drac just stared, startled. "You'd be the Sixth Child, Drac. What do you say? Do you want to be an Eva pilot like Rei?" Brian hated to use the 'Rei Card', but it was the only way to assure that he would be a pilot. 'Damn me to Hell for this…'

"Alright. I'll do it. If Rei can do it, so can I." Drac said determined.

'Poor kid… Doesn't know what he's getting himself into. And I'm not being of any help. May god protect him…'

End of Chapter 2

   [1]: mailto:KnapDaddy@Hotmail.com



	3. Chapter 3

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This chapter introduces another character, and is kind of depressing. If you like the story or have any constructive criticism, send it to my email at [KNapDaddy@Hotmail.com][1]. Also, my Yahoo IM Account is KNapDaddy. Please don't send stuff like, "This sucks" or anything with no point. If you do, however, tell me WHY it sucks. That way I can fix it so that there is no oral intercourse occurring. Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 5

3, sir.

Right.

Chapter 3

Allen awoke to see some people shuffling around outside. He looked to see Brian and Brad talking to a woman with smiles on their faces. Brad noticed that Allen was awake, and excused himself from the conversation, and entered the soundproof room.

"I see that you're awake again. How are you feeling?" Brad asked curiously.

"I'm fine… Um… Mr. Brad? Who's that?" Allen asked politely while pointing at the woman that was talking to Brian. Brad smiled.

"That is Brian's wife, Carie. She may be your new mother. You see, Brian's been thinking about adopting you…" Brad said slowly. Allen could hardly hold back his jump for joy. 'If I had a mother and Father, that would mean that I'd be normal!' He thought. "Come on. I'll take you to meet her." Brad motioned him out the door.

However, for some reason, Allen felt uneasy. 'What if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't want to be my mother? Gotta think fast! I have to be cute! I have to be pathetic! She'll like me then! But what do I say? I can't think of anything! Oh, no! What do I…" His thoughts went silent as he found himself standing in front of her. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hello, Allen." She said to him comfortingly. Allen suddenly got very nervous.

"Hi…" Allen said shyly. No words came to his head that he could say to her. Nothing came to him as a way to convince her to be his mother. So he just went right out and asked her.

"Are you my Mom?" He asked quietly. He could almost FEEL her heart melt at the question.

"Yeah. I'm your Mom." She said warmly. Allen smiled broadly and wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug. She returned the hug with great force. Allen had a mom and dad now. He was a normal kid now.

***

'Mom…'

***

"No, Allen, you have to balance yourself!" Brian said, covering his face as Allen crashed headlong into the ditch. Allen stood up and picked up the bike.

"What's the point of learning how to ride a bike if we have cars?" Allen cried angrily. After about the 50th time of crashing into the same ditch, Allen had gotten frustrated. At the bike, at the ditch, and at Brian, but most importantly, he was mad at himself.

"Well, it's fun!" Brian said cheerily.

"It's NOT fun to crash into a DITCH!" Allen pouted.

"Think of it this way. It saves you gas money." Brian offered. Allen sighed heavily.

"But I'm never going to get it right! All I do is fall down!" Allen complained.

"Oh come on, Allen! Riding a bike is as easy as riding a… Er… Well… It's as easy as pie!" Brian said, stumbling over his own words.

"Mom always complains about how hard it is to make pie." Allen murmured. Brian sighed, looking like he was going to give up.

"How about I hold onto the bike for you. You won't fall down if I'm holding the bike. That way you'll see how fun it is." Brian offered. Allen reluctantly agreed, and was back on the bike. Allen began to petal the bike, and Brian began to push. After about 5 feet, the bike jerked a little, but the bike didn't fall over.

After a fair distance, he looked back to tell Brian that he was done, to see Brian ¼ a mile down the rode, smiling and waving. Since Allen hadn't been watching where he was going, he hit a rock, causing the bike to fly into the ditch.

At first, he was angry with Brian for letting go of the bike. But then he realized that he had ridden the whole way himself. Allen also realized that it wasn't the actual riding of the bike that caused him to cheer happily, but the fact that he had accomplished something that he had deemed impossible. The fact that he had achieved a goal that he had set his sights on.

"Come on, Allen. Let's go in, eh?" Brian said, with a small smile.

***

'Dad…'

***

"It worries me, Brian! Who will be next? It could be Greg or Brian… Or you…" Carie spoke to her husband fearfully. "They are killing off all your lab assistants! Whoever they are, they don't like what you are doing there! Is it important enough to lose this many lives? Maybe if you stop the project…"

"We can't stop the project, Carie. I can't tell you why, but we just can't." Brian said sadly. He looked up and noticed that Allen had come out of his room. "Allen, what are you doing up? It's past 3." Brian asked him firmly.

"I'm sorry, Dad… I heard you and Mom yelling… Dad… Are you going to die…?" Allen asked with tears in his eyes. If someone killed his father, he didn't know what he would do.

"No, No, Allen! Don't worry about it!" He wrapped Allen in an embrace. "Nothing's going to…" The phone rang. Brian picked it up. His eyes grew wide with horror. He hung up the Phone quickly.

"Allen, go to bed. Now." Brian said firmly. Allen went to his room and closed the door. He could still hear them talking.

"Gregory Charles is in the hospital with repeated gunshot wounds to the chest. He isn't expected to survive the night." Brian said, calmly. There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

"Brian… What now?" Carie asked.

"I'm going to talk to Brad about that. He's coming over now." Brian said. Allen heard a car pull into the drive. "That must be him. I'll go talk to him. Maybe you should get some sleep, Carie." Brian suggested. He heard Carie walk to her room and close the door.

Thirty seconds later, a gunshot echoed from the driveway. Allen jumped up and ran out into the hall, fearful for what might be happening. He ran into Carie and fell over. A man dressed all in black, even a black mask, walked into the room. He pointed the gun and fired.

The shot pierced Carie's skull in the middle of her forehead.

"Mother!" Allen cried out. The man in black smiled evilly pointed the gun at Allen, and fell over, dead. Brad was right behind the man, a gun still hot in his hand. Allen vaguely noticed a bullet wound in Brad's shoulder. Allen ran to Brad and wept, Brad hugging Allen tightly to him, whispering reassurances.

His mother and father were dead.

'They're dead… Uncle Brad's the only one that I have left… I'm all alone…'

***

"Shinji, how would you like to go to a movie with me?" Asuka asked, stopping dead the conversation that they were having. They had been walking home from school, talking happily with each other. For her to suddenly say this, when they were talking about Rei and the Sixth Child's absence from school, surprised him greatly.

Shinji blinked a few times, and opened his mouth. It immediately closed. He tried to open his mouth again, and it closed a second time. This continued until Asuka gave him a swift kick in the shins.

"W-Why, I would love to Asuka. W-What movie do you want to watch?" Shinji said nervously.

"I say we should watch that new Romance movie… What was it called…" Asuka trailed off.

"You Are My Dreams?" Shinji supplied. Asuka brightened.

"I am? Oh, Shinji, you flatter me so much!" She flushed again.

"No, that's the name of the movie." Shinji said, a small sweatdrop running down his forehead.

"Does this mean that you DON'T dream about me?" Asuka asked poutingly.

"No, of course not! For there is nothing else in this world worth dreaming about!" Shinji said romantically. Asuka giggled through a blush, then ran up to Shinji and took his hand. Shinji grew stiff as a board (In more than one way…), and couldn't move an inch.

"Come on, Shinji! Let's go to the movie theatre!" Asuka ran down the street, dragging Shinji with her.

***

Rei had finally convinced Drac to eat something, and he slowly began to eat the candy bar given to him. Mr. Goodbar was always his favorite candy bar. Ritsuko had since gone on with her work, muttering curses and the like every so often. When the knock came to the door, Ritsuko stood up and opened it. She smiled, and ushered in a black-haired boy and a tall man.

Memories ignited. He remembered this man. He remembered a great deal of hate surrounding him. This was the man who had left him alone. This was the man that had told him "You don't matter to me!" This was Bradley Thomas, the man who had married his mother, and had left him alone when she had died.

"You BASTARD!" Drac screamed out with rage and attacked the man that had left him alone in the world. He violently lashed out at his anguish personified. The man fell down on the ground from the flurry of punches Drac had applied upon him. Rei came up from behind him and grabbed both his arms, pulling the struggling boy away from his tormentor.

"You BASTARD!" Drac cried out again, fighting to break free of Rei's grasp. He felt a needle slide into his arm. He looked to his right to see Dr. Ikagi inject something into him. He jerked away from her and suddenly felt extremely dizzy. He couldn't even think strait. He would have fallen to the ground if Rei hadn't been holding him up. Before he fell unconscious, he heard a small conversation.

"I take it you know Drac, Dr. Thomas?" Ritsuko asked.

"We had a minor disagreement in the past. It's nothing…"

It's nothing.

It's nothing.

It's NOTHING!

'"IT'S NOTHING!" He says! I was his stepson and he abandoned me! That is NOT nothing…'

Drac lost consciousness.

***

Rei laid Drac on the small bed in the corner, and addressed the subject.

"It is not nothing, sir. Drac is not a violent person. You have hurt him deeply in the past. I assume that you are his estranged Stepfather, are you not?" Rei said in her monotone voice.

"Yes, I am. However, this is in the past. It doesn't matter anymore…" Bradley started, but was interrupted by Rei.

"Yes it does matter, sir! Drac feels that you ruined his life. And I agree! You irresponsibly left a child alone, with no one to look after him! No wonder why he's spent most of his life since then in a padded room!" Rei screamed at the man. Rei didn't even know where this burst of emotion came from, but she didn't like it. All she knew was that she didn't like to see Drac in so much pain.

"So he went nuts? I always knew that kid was bonkers." Bradley said, uncaringly

"You are a monster. You are worse than those angels against which we fight. You have destroyed someone's life, and you don't even care." Rei said quietly. She left the room, anger radiating from her.

***

"I don't care about my brothers! I don't care about the King! All I care about is you, Cara!" The man cried to his love as he and the young Elven woman embraced with love and heated passion.

"You know that I cannot marry a human, Flin… I know this, as well, but I cannot spend another moment without you by my side!" The woman moaned with ecstasy. They held each other in an eternal embrace. The screen faded out.

Shinji was so engrossed in the movie that he didn't realize Asuka had leaned her head upon his shoulder, a glassy eyed look on her face. Shinji didn't want to, but his body made him drape his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer. He heard a contented sigh emerge from Asuka, and he rested his head atop of hers. Shinji felt his eyes growing heavy, as he slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep.

***

Asuka noticed that Shinji had peacefully drifted off to sleep, all according to plan. Next, she would slide away from him quietly, gently pick him up, and throw him in the nearest Dumpster. The look on his face would be a laugh riot…

She noticed the small smile that had appeared on his face. She then remembered how fun the past week had been, without Shinji being so terrified of her. Shinji wasn't a spineless wimp anymore. Asuka couldn't believe that she was thinking this.

'Of course Shinji is still a spineless wimp! He wouldn't be Shinji if he weren't!' Asuka thought. But she could feel her previous plan fade away. Get Shinji to like her more than anything else, and then tell him that she despised him. Destroy his very will to live. For if it was fun to torment Shinji on a small scale, it would be hilarious if done on a large scale.

But she wasn't ready to give this up just yet. She was having fun right now. She was enjoying Shinji's complements and praise. The great thing was that he actually meant them.

Asuka sighed, leaning closer to Shinji and letting her eyes close. 

***

"Shinji-kun, I've been thinking a lot lately, and I wanted to know your opinion…" Asuka said nervously. Shinji looked up from his homework to see one of the most beautiful sights that he had ever seen. Lately, Shinji had not been able to get Asuka out of her head lately. She was the first thing in his head when he woke up, the last thing in his head when he went to sleep, and her presence was all he saw in his dreams.

"What is it, Asuka?" Shinji asked. He found that he couldn't take his eyes off her even if he wanted to, not like he did.

"What would you do if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" Asuka asked. Shinji's heart began to race at this question. He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I'd have a heart attack and die a happy man." Shinji said with a grin on his face. Asuka giggled, and gave him a hug.

"Is that a yes?" Asuka asked. Her smile shone brighter than the sun.

"Yes, Asuka." Shinji said, and was immediately kneed in the gut. He clutched his stomach and fell to the ground in pain.

"Well, of course you'd want to be the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu's boyfriend, but I'm not giving you that privilege, you spineless wimp!" Asuka spat on him.

"W-What?" Shinji said getting back his breath.

"You disgust me! You pathetic wimp! I've been acting at being nice to you the whole time! You must admit that I've won an Oscar for THAT performance!" Asuka said proudly.

"W-what?" Shinji said pulling himself up, looking at Asuka as a deer in headlights.

"I HATE you! That's what I said, Baka! I HATE you! And you are too dumb to realize it!" Asuka shouted with a slightly upturned scowl. Shinji couldn't understand what she was saying. She had asked for his heart, and, when he had given it to her, she threw it on the ground and crushed it under her foot.

"You…" Shinji said, barely audible. Asuka came closer, an evil smile broadly emphasized on her face by her red lipstick.

"What was that Shinji? Did you say something, or was that your spine dissolving?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

"You… Bitch…" Shinji said, rising to his feet. He was angry now. He had been destroyed from the inside out. 'But that's what you get when you invite a rabid dog inside.'

"I'm a bitch, now? Shut your mouth, Shinji, or I'll shut it for you!" Asuka said angrily, raising a fist.

"Go ahead an try, bitch…" Shinji said, still looking at the floor. Asuka exploded with rage.

"You asked for it, Shinji-KUN!" She said, stressing the syllable 'Kun' as though it were an arrow aimed for the heart. It struck dead center.

Asuka reared back, and crumpled to the ground as Shinji slugged her as hard as he could in the gut. He grabbed her by the hair, forcing her up.

"What's wrong, Asuka?!? No witty insults?!? No Rude comments?!? Aren't you going to insult my heritage?!? Who's the spineless wimp now, Asuka-CHAN?!?!" Shinji chucked her against the wall and pinned her there, where he began to brutally, and repeatedly, punch Asuka in the face.

Misato burst into the room and pulled Shinji off her, causing her to fall to the floor in a limp pile. Shinji tried to leap at her once more, but Misato held him firm. Shinji began to cry. He felt to the ground, weak and sniveling. She had hurt him beyond anything he thought that she could manage.

He certainly DID feel like a spineless wimp.

***

"Hello, Asuka. How are you feeling today?" Hikari asked the bed ridden Asuka. Asuka had been in the hospital since last night's incident. Several bruises covered her face, and both of her eyes were blackened quite severely. She had received a major concussion, and her jaw was dislocated. Several ribs, she had found out, were broken in many different places.

"I hurt all over." Asuka said, not bothering to lift her head off the pillow. Being beat the shit out of by Shinji was not the Main reason why she was so down, however. The plot she had concocted didn't work. She had everything set up, and everything was perfect, down to the tee.

Shinji had acted just as she thought he might, and she should have been laughing her ass off.

But she couldn't.

She saw the pain on his face, and felt sorry for him. She saw the anger on his face, and felt ashamed for her actions. She saw the hate on his face, and felt pain. Excruciating pain from which she had seldom felt anything. Only when she had looked at Shinji and felt admiration towards his actions.

But admiration didn't really fit what she had felt. She felt more than that…

"Well, I brought you some candy, if that will help brighten your mood." Hikari said hopefully. Asuka lifted her head slightly, and smiled.

"No, but thanks, Hikari… I'm not in much of a mood to be cheered up right now…" Asuka said weakly. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"Well, I'll put the candy right here, and leave you alone… You are obviously thinking about something important…" Before Hikari left the room, she asked, "Asuka, is all this about Shinji?"

"What makes you think that, Hikari?" Asuka asked in a monotone voice.

"Because you're in the hospital, and Shinji's in jail right now." Hikari said curtly. Asuka leaned forward quickly.

"Shinji's in jail?" Asuka asked quickly. 'Well, of course he is. He attacked me.'

"NERV has probably gotten him out by now, though." Hikari said, "See ya, Asuka." Hikari left, leaving Asuka to her thoughts. Asuka looked at the basket of candy with disgust. Hikari had given it to her out of pity.

Asuka didn't WANT any pity. She also expected that no one else wanted it from her.

She remembered Shinji's agonized look. Asuka felt the tears come and fought back. With effort, they held. Shinji had been so nice to her. He had called her beautiful, smart, graceful, and kind. When Shinji complemented her, it made her feel good inside. But she WOULDN'T believe the fact that she actually ENJOYED spending time with that baka!

She remembered his smile changing to confusion. She felt, inside, that it had been wrong to hit Shinji in the gut. He didn't have any pain in his face, however. 

She remembered his confusion shifting to shock. She shouldn't have taunted him like that. Still, there was no pain in his face. 

She remembered his face when she had said that she hated him. Pain overwhelmed his face, as if someone had removed his heart with their bare hands. 

What was bad was the fact that she knew it was a lie. 

She had hated people before. She didn't hate Shinji. 

She hadn't been acting the whole time when they had been together. And she didn't have to try very hard to look like she wanted to be with him.

She hadn't even been acting very well. Shinji had just wanted to believe that Asuka liked him.

What was worse was the look of hate on his face when he began to attack her. It hurt her greatly to see Shinji hate her so much, but she didn't know why…

"Shinji, I'm the spineless one… not you…" Asuka said as the tears threatened to pour again, and this time, Asuka didn't fight them.

***

Drac lay on the small bed motionless, waiting Ritsuko and Bradley to leave the room. For some reason, the sleeping agent injected into him had not taken effect for as long as Dr. Akagi would have liked.

"Well, Doctor, looks like I'll be working under you for awhile. Maybe we can talk once our shift is over? About the Project, of course!" Brad said in a perfectly innocent tone, for which Ritsuko did not fall.

"Sorry. I have to work late tonight. We'll talk about old times later. Misato's off, though. You could talk to her all you want." Ritsuko said in a strait tone.

"Well, truth be known, I'd rather talk with you…." Brad said, trailing off for effect. Ritsuko sighed loudly. "Alright, alright. I'll give Misato a holler. See ya tomorrow, Rit-chan!" With that, Satan… Bradley left the room with a bounce in his step. That Bastard.

"You can stop pretending to be unconscious, Drac. I didn't give you THAT strong of a dose." Ritsuko said, not taking her eyes off her work. Drac sat up slowly, looking down at the floor. "He has changed a lot from last I met him, Drac. Maybe due to the death of your Mother and step-brother… I've noticed that he is a lot colder than he used to be." Drac looked down, not responding.

"He knew you were a nutcase from the start. That's why he gave up on you." Ritsuko said, still not looking up. Drac's anger flared, but he kept it in check, still staring at the ground.

"He never gave me a chance. It wouldn't have mattered if I were Albert Freaking Einstein. The bastard still would have left me alone." Drac said. "He thought that I was worthless even before he knew me… That's why he—" Drac stopped mid-sentence, suppressing the painful memory.

"Then prove him wrong, Drac. Show him that you are more than a loon in a strait jacket. Then, you can spit in his face with pride." Ritsuko stood up, and went to the door. "You going to your apartment, Drac, or are you going to stay here?" Ritsuko asked casually.

'Damn. She is good.' Drac thought. He jumped off the bed, and headed out the door with solemn determination etched on his face.

***

Misato opened the door to the jail cell to hear whimpering originating from the shaded corner.

"Shinji?" Misato called out firmly, but received no response, excluding the continuation of weeping. Misato stepped into the room, making her way for the darkened corner, where Shinji lay curled in a ball. Misato knelt down by his side, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

Shinji, feeling Misato's hand, Shinji threw his arms around her waist and cried into her breast. Misato could feel the pain radiating from him, undoubtedly more pain then he had caused Asuka.

"Shinji… What happened?" Misato asked quietly. Shinji told her, between sobs, what Asuka had done. Misato understood why he felt this way, and she was furious with Asuka. She had toyed with him that whole time… But why had she waited so long to act?

Misato released herself from Shinji, and pulled him to his feet. "Shinji, you're free to go. NERV has cleared your record and everything. Come on. Let's go home." Shinji stopped crying, and followed Misato out of the cell. 'Asuka, how could you be so blind…?' She thought as she left the jail cell with Shinji, closing it with a dull thud.

End of Chapter 5

3, sir.

Right.

End of Chapter 3

   [1]: mailto:KnapDaddy@Hotmail.com



	4. Chapter 4

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Note: These are direct quotes from Reviewers. 

I know you're all asking the same questions, and I will try to answer them all.

1. "Asuka is not cruel. She is defensive and teasing yes." "Shinji can't even bring himself to take a swing at the man he despises the most, his own father, let alone at someone who he seems to have a grudging friendship for."

All will be explained, my friends! It's really hard to fit all of this into one chapter, for I was GOING to wait for awhile, but present appearances is turning people off from my story, so I am forced to make this chapter extra long to fit in at least ONE of the explanations. (Though I find it irritating that no one could figure it out on their OWN! CHEMI, THAT MEANS YOU!)

2." IQ of over 400?!?!!?!?!?? Man, you're really trying to raise the bar for implausible ACCs, aren't you?"

This isn't as extreme as you think, and it's really not important to the plot anyway, so don't worry about it.

BTW: This ISN'T a "What If" story. I just haven't gotten to the reasons yet.

Chapter 4:

On his way to the apartment, he met up with a beggar on the side of the road. The man asked him for some change. "Sure. But I only have a dollar." Drac said casually. The beggar shook his head.

"All I need is 50 cents. I need to buy a doll for my little angel." The beggar said with a broad smirk. Drac sat down slowly, relaxing. "I'm surprised you remembered, Drac. I was afraid you might decide to convert the amount into yen. That would really screw up the lines." The man said, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

"How ya doin' Kaji?" Drac asked in English. Kaji took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke with a deep sigh.

"It's been along time… But then, you always did have a good memory…" Kaji said in his usual cheery tone, also in English. "Have you heard about Brian? Or has NERV hidden it from you?"

"They have." Drac said, wondering what had happened.

"He was killed. As was his wife. An attempt was made on his foster son, but Bradley stopped the killer in time." Kaji said, his smirk wavering. Drac was shocked. Brian, his mentor, the closest thing to a father that he had, and he was dead. He and Brian had met a long time before the incident in the basement of NERV. He had offered Drac a proposal. Drac had accepted. That was why he was here today.

"By whom?" Drac asked calmly.

"Getting revenge will earn you nothing but revealing the plan, Drac. You know that. The murderer was shot and killed on scene by Dr. Bradley Thomas. He couldn't let anything happen to his 'Allen' Project, now could he? He's to far along, and too entangled in Gendo's web to back out now. Of course, Gendo doesn't realize with whom he's dealing with. Brad is a dirty son of a bitch that will do anything to further himself. Even experiment on his own Stepson…" Kaji trailed off. Drac felt the memories trying to return again, but pushed them back a second time today.

'I had to grow up fast… I was so young…'

"It HAS been a few years, Kaji. Any updates on the project?" Drac asked cheerily. He knew that NERV had surveillance on him 24/7, so he had to change his mood to make them think that he was just trying to cheer up a random beggar.

"'Allen' is in Tokyo-3 now. Gendo's plan is moving along as we suspected. Even WITH Brian disposed of, we'll still stop them from finishing their plan. So, I hear you're a pilot now, eh?" Kaji laughed. "Have you met Misato yet? Does she miss me?" Kaji asked, his smirk broad again.

"I don't know. Should I ask her?" Drac grinned.

"Very funny. How's Asuka and Shinji doing? Haven't seen them in a while." Kaji said brightly.

"Violent and timid." Drac said, looking like he was trying to suppress a laugh. Kaji took a few minutes to respond, but when he did, the smirk was gone and he looked very solemn.

"Drac, I have a favor to ask you. I know it might be a mistake… But I think that it's a necessary risk. I want you to give this disk to Misato. Tell her not to be surprised by it, please." Kaji patted Drac on the back lightly, and slid the disk into the pocket of his coat with a concealed motion. They both stood and shook hands. In Japanese, Kaji said, "It was nice to meet you, sir. Maybe we can talk again sometime."

"I pass by here every day after school. It's nice to speak to someone who knows English again." Drac said, waving goodbye. 

'So "Allen" is in Tokyo-3, huh? I'll bet that kid with Brad was him, then.' Drac walked around a corner and quickly looked at what the disk said before pocketing it again.

'To my dearest Honey'. Drac chuckled and moved towards his apartment, ready for the next day of school. 'I'll show you that you were wrong, you bastard. I AM worth something. And when you fall on your ass, I will LAUGH!' Thoughts of his foster father paying for his actions brightened his mood greatly.

***

"If the Children cannot live in the same environment, then we will have one of them removed from said environment. That is what I am saying, Major." Gendo said, hands folded over his face.

"WHAT?!?" Misato said, shocked. "I don't think there's a need for an act THAT drastically Commander!"

"Your approval is not required, Major Katsuragi. Shinji will be taken from your care. He will live with the Sixth Child. You will inform him of this fact. You may go now, Major." Gendo said turning in his chair away from her.

"But—" Misato started.

"You may go NOW, Major." Gendo said firmly. Misato left, fuming.

"Are you sure this is wise, Commander?" Fuuyutski asked calmly.

"Yes. It will be a sufficient means of eliminating the relationship between the two. Everything is according to plan, my friend. Now, we must simply wait." Gendo said, a small smile spreading across his face.

***

"WHAT?!?" Shinji cried, unable to believe what Misato had just said.

"Commander Ikari says that you're going to be living with Drac from now on…" Misato said, fighting back tears.

"WHO'S DRAC?!?" Shinji cried, still upset.

"Sixth Child?" Misato reminded him.

"Oh, yeah…" Shinji sat down on his bed, depressed. "Why do I have to go? I was here first! Asuka should have to go!" Shinji complained.

"The Commander's orders were final, Shinji. There's nothing that I could do. I'm sorry…" Misato said, letting one tear escape.

"It's not your fault, Misato… It's his. That… MAN can never stop tormenting me. He may not even be doing it on purpose anymore. It's probably second nature to him by now." Shinji said quietly, standing up and beginning to pack his things.

"So you're not even going to confront him about it?" Misato asked. "Tell him you don't want to go! Maybe he'll change his mind!" Shinji shook his head.

"No. I will NEVER beg to that man. That is what he wants. I WILL NOT." Shinji said, determination filling his very being. All of his possessions fit into a large, brown box. He looked at Misato with irritation. "Well? Are you going to take me to my new home, or do I have to WALK?" Shinji said with contempt.

"Let me get my keys…" Misato said, tears falling from her eyes. She left the room quickly, and ran to her room. Shinji slowly left his room. On the door, he noticed the sign.

'Shinji's Lovely Suite' Shinji looked at the sign with a defeated look, and took it of the door. He put it on the table in kitchen. 'This isn't my home anymore…'

***

Ding, BOOM!

Drac wondered why his doorbell had just made an explosion sound, but thought better of it and decided that he didn't want to know. He went to the door quickly, so as not to cause another explosion, and opened it. Standing in the doorway was a very pissed off Shinji, and a very depressed Misato. Shinji burst into the apartment and went into the empty room.

"Um… Hello?" Drac said nervously. Misato stepped forward.

"Hello, Drac. You remember me, right?

"Major Katsuragi. Of course." Drac mock saluted. Misato lightly laughed.

"Well, it seems like, orders from above, Shinji will be your roommate from now on." Misato said sadly.

"The charming individual that just ran me over on entrance?" Drac said less than enthused. Misato nodded. "Greeeeeeeaaaaaaaat. Lovely. Just what I need. MORE voices talking to me." Drac said sarcastically. Misato looked like she didn't know if he was kidding or not. Drac sighed heavily and moved on.

"Well, Misato, here's one reason to be happy. I have a gift for you." Drac took the disk, fully wrapped in wrapping paper, off the table and gave it to Misato. "You have to promise me not to open it until you get home. And don't be so surprised by its contents." Drac said mischievously.

"What is it?" Misato asked, trying to open it. Drac eyed her heavily, and she stopped. "Well, may come in? I have to say good bye to Shinji-kun…" Misato said, loosing energy as her sentence went on.

"Be my guest, Major!" Drac said with another mock salute. "And please don't devour my chestnut tree. It's already been tormented by the can opener." Drac smiled wickedly, trying to freak Misato out. It worked, and Drac laughed his ass off. Misato quickly said goodbye to Shinji.

"If you need anything, Shinji, just call… You have my phone number…" Misato said nervously. Shinji grunted a response, staring up at the ceiling. Misato left quietly, at the brink of tears.

"So, Shinji, looks like we're going to be roomies. I'm Drac, in case you don't remember." Drac said cheerfully.

"It's people like you that people in bad moods really don't like." Shinji said, annoyed.

"And why, pray tell, are you in a bad mood?" Drac asked, hurt.

"Because I had to move."

"I know a madman isn't usually a bad conversationalist, but still…" Drac said indignantly.

"It's not you, it's my father! He orders me around with no respect for my own wishes!" Shinji growled.

"At least you HAVE a father. All I have is a bastard stepfather who left me for dead so that he could go to another country." Drac said wryly.

"Really? Hmm… Looks like we've got something in common. Our only family left in this world are bastards that don't give a whit about us." Shinji said with a grin. Drac laughed loudly, and sat down on the bed.

"So, what'd your dad do to you, Shinji?" Drac asked, smiling broadly. Shinji sighed deeply.

"Well, he abandoned me at a young age. I…" Shinji stopped cold, the grin on his face disappearing.

"Well, Brad left me alone in a house for three days before… Someone… Came and got me." Drac carefully edited out Brian's name.

"You don't call him Step-dad, do you?" Shinji said smugly. Drac shook his head.

"He left me all alone. I had no one… No matter what he was going through, he had no excuse to leave me there to suffer the same grief by myself. Legality alone is the only bond we share. Nothing can repair what he has destroyed. He ruined my life. Now, all I have left is my mission…" Drac said quietly, standing up and leaving the room.

***

Misato sat at the table of her apartment and cried for what seemed like hours. After a long period of time, she remembered the present that Drac had given her, and she opened it carefully, keeping in mind what Drac had said when it was given to her.

"Don't be so surprised by its contents." Drac had said. Fine. Misato would not be surprised.

Misato pulled the ribbon to the packaging slowly, and unfolded the wrapping paper. She opened the box that the present was in, and removed its contents.

She thoroughly failed to not be surprised. Shock followed, and more tears flowed from her eyes. She quickly moved to her computer, and stuck the disk into the disk drive. All that was on the disk was an exe file, and a text file, labeled "Readme1st.txt". She double-clicked on the text file to bring up a small, letter form document.

Hey Misato,

I bet you've been crying a river about me being dead and all. I wanted to come and tell you before this, but I had to wait 'til SEELE thought I was dead. They were not fully convinced the first time. I bet you're also wondering about my body found at the scene. Well, I had some help with that. Dr. Brian Thomas, you've probably heard his name before concerning 'Allen', had cloned me, and left the lifeless body at the crime scene. We had killed the man attempting to kill me, then hid his body.

Quite simple for a master like me. Anyway, enclosed is a file that will give you information on how things are now, dealing with NERV. I need your help, Misato. We need a spy on the inside, and Drac is monitored non-stop, so he can't. The file will explain everything. I'm looking forward to seeing you again;). See ya, Misato

Love,

Kaji

When Misato finished reading the document, she was crying again, now tears of joy. She activated the file, and watched. As the information flashed across the screen, Misato's eyes grew wider and her face grew extremely pale. 

"My God." Misato whispered, clutching her cross to her chest. She hoped the he could here her.

***

"Asuka, wake up." Misato said to Asuka, shaking her to consciousness. Asuka sat up slowly, and blinked a few times. The hospital bed had grown hot and damp over night, which disgusted Asuka rather greatly.

"Asuka, Ritsuko says you're all clear. Let's go home." Misato said, offering Asuka her clothes. Asuka changed, and followed Misato to the parking lot without saying a word. She figured Shinji would be there to greet her, stammering his apologies, but he wasn't.

'Probably feels too guilty about what he did. That Baka-Hentai.' Asuka sat down in the front seat of the car, and Misato drove them home. Misato opened the door and let Asuka enter first, not saying a word. Asuka headed for her room, but noticed that Shinji had taken down that stupid sign on the door.

"So, Shinji finally took down that sign, eh Misato?" Asuka asked mockingly. Misato looked at Asuka and shook her head.

"Yes, Asuka. Shinji took down the sign." Misato said with a tone of sadness. Asuka was puzzled by this so she decided that she would talk to Shinji herself. She opened the door…

To find that Shinji's things were strangely absent.

"Misato, where's Shinji?" Asuka called out to Misato.

"I don't know. I'm not his guardian anymore." Misato called back.

"What?" Asuka asked loudly, and met Misato in the kitchen. Misato was sitting at the table with several beers lined up for her to drink, and a few sheets of paper in front of her. She popped the top of one, and took a long swing.

"You heard me. Shinji moved away." Misato said calmly, reading one of the sheets of paper.

"WHY?!?" Asuka yelled.

"Do you think that Shinji would be allowed to stay under the same roof as you after what happened? You ruined everything, Asuka. It's your fault." Misato said, still reading the sheet of paper and drinking another beer.

"What do you mean, ruined everything? What are you talking about?!?" Asuka growled angrily.

"You ruined the family. Shinji, you and me. We were a family. You decided that your normal torment wasn't enough. You had to push him. You had to hurt him. You had to make him more than the 'spineless wimp' that he was. Well, Asuka, you succeeded. You made him angry enough to react. You hurt him deep enough so that he would have a spine. I hope you think the price was worth it." 

Misato looked at the can of beer in her hand, and threw it in the trash. She put her hand to her face and walked away, depression emanating from her very core.

Asuka looked at the papers that Misato had left behind. One had the Sixth Child's address and phone number, the other was a legal NERV document.

Major Katsuragi,

This document states that one, Ikari Shinji, will no longer be under your care. The 3rd Child will be housed in a different area and will be monitored totally by NERV security, removing the need for a Guardian. You are allowed to visit him at his home, but such visits will be kept to a minimum. Excluding school, Asuka Langley Sohryu is not to be allowed within a 50-ft radius of Ikari Shinji, or else risk the penalty of solitary confinement. That is all.

Signed,

Commander Ikari Gendo

Asuka felt the tears come to her eyes and, for the second time, she didn't fight them.

***

"Hey, Shinji!" Drac calls out to his roommate. Shinji pokes his head out of his room.

"Dinner's ready." Drac says, setting the table. Shinji blinked.

'I don't have to make dinner?' Shinji thought, surprised by this fact. He rushed to the table, seeing two bowls, two forks, and a covered pot. Shinji went to lift the cover, and his hand received a slap with a serving spoon. Shinji looked at Drac and became rather shocked.

Drac was wearing a sleeveless leather shirt, a pair of jeans (Which looked like someone had taken a razor blade to them), a silver cross, and a black, leather, French beret.

"What?" Drac asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Shinji shook his head.

"Nothing… So, what's for dinner?" Shinji asked, in a normal Shinji voice.

"Tuna Noodle Casserole." Drac lifted the lid to observe a substance that looked quite like vomit.

"Um… That's very… Unique looking there…" Shinji sweat dropped. Drac glared at Shinji.

"HEY! Don't knock it 'til you try it!" Drac said in a very threatening tone. Shinji quickly sat down and proffered his bowl. As the substance oozed out of the serving spoon, he felt his appetite ooze out as well.

"Actually, Drac, I'm really not hungry right now—" Shinji started, beginning to stand.

"EAT!" Drac shouted, causing Shinji to quickly move back into his chair, and take a bite.

He immediately stood up and ran to the bathroom, vomiting Dry Heaves for several minutes before coming back out. When Shinji came back out, he found a grumbling Drac, and a hamburger replacing the eerie substance that one inhabited Shinji's seat.

"It's not for everyone…" Drac said with a sigh. "So, Shinji, what happened to get you moved here anyway? There had to be a reason besides your dear old dad wanting to piss you off. Though if he's like Brad, he doesn't need much of a reason." Drac said with a grin.

"Well, that is… I sort of… Beat the crap out of the Second Child, having her require hospitalization…" Shinji said quickly. Drac dropped his fork.

"Yeah… That would do it…" Drac said, meekly. Regaining his composure, he asked, "Was there any reason?" Shinji looked down at the half-eaten hamburger in front of him.

"She… Said some things. You know, Drac, I'm really not all that hungry. The hamburger was delicious. Thanks." Shinji stood up, and went back to his room. Drac sat contemplating the response, and decided that he'd use more of a direct approach to patch things up…

***

Allen entered the class and surveyed the room. He spotted the prettiest girl in the room, a Red-haired girl with her head on the desk, who he recognized as Asuka Langley Sohryu, pilot of Eva unit 02. He quietly slid to a position in front of her desk, and knocked on the hard wooden surface. She looked up, sneered, and put her head back down.

"Having a bad day?" He asked compassionately.

"Buzz off." The girl said half-heartedly. Allen smiled, and reached into his bag, pulling out a dozen roses. He knocked on her desk again and, when she looked up with anger, she stopped dead.

"A gift to brighten a beautiful woman's day. Red roses for the red-headed beauty." Allen said, giving her the flowers, and bowing ever so slightly. "My name's Tashiama Allen. It's nice to meet you, Second Child." With that, he slid off to a seat near the middle of the classroom, looked at Asuka, and smiled the most charming smile he could manage. 

Asuka turned forward and blinked a few times. She absently smelled the flowers and stared at the front of the room. She knew one thing for certain.

NOW, she wasn't having a bad day.

***

As Rei walked with Drac to school, she prayed that he wouldn't have another NERVous breakdown. Drac suddenly stopped, looking as though he were deep in thought. Drac nodded, and turned to Rei.

"Rei, I don't think I'll be going to school today. I just remembered that I have something to do. See ya." He dashed off in a seemingly random direction, and turned around a corner. Rei sighed, and continued down the road to school.

***

Drac ran around in random patterns down the street, then jumped into a dumpster. He waited several minutes, then got out and walked slowly to where he had met Kaji last time. Sure enough, Kaji was sitting on the curb, waiting for Drac's appearance. They bantered the usual code for conversation, and Drac took a seat beside Kaji on the road.

"You're early." Kaji said.

"I know." Drac said, calmly looking around.

"No one followed you?" Kaji said.

"Not a soul." Drac said.

"Good. This disk holds the updates on the mission. Here ya go." Kaji handed him a disk and prepared to stand.

"Kaji, wait." Drac said quietly. Kaji paused and sat back down, a puzzled look on his face. "Could I have the classified information on the Eva pilots?" Drac asked,brief and to the point.

"Why do you need that? You know Brian's policy. He believed in a need to know basis." Kaji pointed out, his smirk spreading across his face again.

"I need to know my fellow Eva pilots as I know myself. Allies can't—" Drac began his prepared speech.

"In other words," Kaji interrupted, "You're curious." Drac shook his head.

"Asuka and Shinji are having problems right now. I want to be able to help them." Drac said, a determined look on his face. Kaji contemplated this, reached into his coat and pulled out another disk.

"I guess there's no one better to help you through mental illness than one who is mental himself. Have fun, Drac. Rei's file is in there too. I'll bet you'll enjoy that." Kaji winked. "See ya Drac. And TRY to go to school tomorrow. You're making me feel like I'm contributing to your delinquency!"

(Private Joke to JoJo!)

Drac smiled, and waved goodbye, making his way home.

***

Shinji had not bothered to wake up for school this morning. He had felt so depressed that he could barely move. He didn't feel sorry for what he had done, and that made him feel like a bad person. Added to the fact that he wasn't allowed within 50-ft of Asuka, he really didn't want to do anything today.

"Unfamiliar ceiling…" He muttered under his breath. He heard the door open and close. Drac had gone to school. Who was this? He heard the footsteps trail into Drac's room, and Drac's computer start up. Shinji quietly opened the door and snuck into Drac's room.

Drac was sitting at the computer, looking at the computer screen. What startled Shinji was the fact of what was on the screen. Asuka's picture was on the screen, in a bios format, as well as an in-depth explanation of her life. Drac quickly turned around, swore lightly, and smacked Shinji across the head with a candleholder. As Shinji fell to the ground, he slowly lost consciousness…

***

Shinji opened his eyes slowly, and found himself staring at a dead man, in a dark room, with his mouth covered by a piece of duct tape. He screamed as loud as he could, but nothing but muffles came out. Kaji shook his head, and turned to Drac.

"You've gotten careless over the years, my friend! So, You say Shinji saw a lot?" Kaji asked.

"Why don't you ask him?" Drac asked.

"Because he's screaming like a woman into a gag. You know, Shinji, your throat is going to get really dry after a while." Kaji said with his smirk. Shinji immediately stopped screaming. "Good. I'm going to take off the tape now. Please don't scream or yell." Kaji removed the tape quickly and slapped a hand over Shinji's mouth to suppress a cry of pain.

"That hurt!" Shinji growled quietly, putting a hand to his lip, checking for bleeding.

"So did getting smacked upside the head with a candlestick holder, but you didn't cry out then." Drac pointed out.

"You knocked me UNCONSCIOUS! I COULDN'T scream! I had no control over my vocal cords!" Shinji whispered venomously. (I LOVE that WORD! Venomously, venomously, venomously!)

"Sorry…" Drac muttered sheepishly. Shinji sniffed indignantly.

"I might forgive you if you tell me WHY you knocked me unconscious and took me to a dark room." Shinji said, high on a horse.

"Question, why DID you turn off the lights, Kaji?" Drac asked.

"To freak Shinji out, of course. If you see a dead man in a dark room, not knowing where you are as opposed to sitting in your living room with all the lights on, it makes a huge difference. That's why Shiji was screaming like a woman." Kaji chuckled a bit. Drac just shook his head. Drac switched on the lights, and, sure enough, Shinji was sitting in his living room.

"Kaji, I have a question." Shinji said quietly.

"Shoot." Kaji said smoothly.

"Depending on your answer, I just might." Shinji said.

"Whatever. Ask away." Kaji rolled his eyes.

"Why aren't you dead?" Shinji asked nervously.

"It's complicated. I'll explain it to you, depending on how you answer this question. Do you want to join our side?" Kaji asked simply.

"Your side." Shinji said blandly.

"Yes. We are fighting against your father's plans." Drac piped up.

"I'm in." Shinji said quickly. Kaji laughed.

"That was quick. Very well. Here's the layout…" Kaji said.

***

Rei stared out the window as she always stared out the window every day of class. This time, however, it just didn't keep her attention. She kept thinking about Drac, about why he decided not to come to school, and about what he was doing now. When she thought about it, she realized that Drac hadn't been to a day of school since he had been enrolled there.

The Sensei had started talking, but Rei wasn't listening. Apparently, he was introducing a new student, but Rei didn't care. She kept herself amused by twiddling her thumbs for about a half an hour, then became bored. She remembered the laptop in front of her, and decided to test out the IM.

'Asuka.' Rei typed, wondering if it would work.

'What do you want, Wonder Girl X-(' came the response. Rei ignored the 'Wonder Girl' comment and continued

'This lesson is extremely boring.' Rei replied.

'No shit'

'What does one usually do when the instructor bores you in class?'

'One usu. Vegges Out'

'Vegges out?'

'Yes. Take a nap'

'But that would be rude.'

'Only if you get caught;)'

Rei decided to take Asuka's advice and take a nap. Several minutes later, Hikari poked her in the ribs, giving her a vicious glare.

"You're snoring, Rei." Hikari said. Indeed, she had been snoring quite loudly, for whole class was staring at Rei. Rei suffused deeply and tried to hide her face from view. Rei was saved by the bell as lunch began. Rei was the first out of the classroom.

***

Shinji was completely and utterly baffled by the information that had just been fed to him, and was not sure if it was a joke or not. He tried laughing, and all he received were odd looks, so he stopped.

"You mean my father is actually planning to do this?" Shinji said, shocked.

"Yup. And he won't let anything get in his way. Well, Drac, looks like NERV supplied you with a partner. Good luck!" Kaji said. "NERV has probably caught on to your deception by now, so I'd better book it. Say 'Hi' to Misato for me!" With that, Kaji left quietly.

"So… Wanna check out the info with me?" Drac said casually.

"Wait a second. I want to know this first. Why do you have that stuff on Asuka?" Shinji asked suspiciously. Drac swallowed hard.

"Well, actually, I have info on all the pilots…" Drac trailed off.

"Even me?" Shinji glared evilly.

"Er… Yeah…" Drac shrugged. Shinji felt a headache coming on.

"Actually, Drac, I have a headache… I think I'll sit out, if that's alright with you…" Shinji said.

"That's cool. I got some pleasure reading to do, anyway." Drac said.

"Checking up on Rei's info, eh Drac?" Shinji asked sarcastically. Drac glared at Shinji and left the room. Shinji was very, very tired.

***

Asuka sat alone at a lunch table, pretending like she was eating her food. Every once and a while, she would look at the flowers laid on the table beside her and smile slightly. Asuka looked up to find that Allen had just taken a seat on the opposite side of the table from her. He grinned with a charming smile that caused Asuka's heart to race.

"Feeling better, Ms. Sohryu?" Allen asked in a quiet, yet self-confident, voice. Asuka's lips upturned slightly.

"Yeah, I guess. Allen, was it?" Asuka asked. He nodded. "Well, thanks for the flowers." Asuka really didn't feel like herself right now. For some reason, any thoughts of yelling at this boy for ruining her perfectly bad mood were gone.

"It was nothing." Allen said gracefully.

"Really? Well, thanks for nothing, then." Asuka smiled, and took a sip of her chocolate milk. Allen laughed at this, and took a long swig of the orange juice that he had been drinking.

"What are you doing after school, Asuka?" Allen asked casually.

"I don't really have any plans." Asuka said, taking a bite of whatever gruel was on her plate. Allen nodded slightly.

"How about you and me go to the Arcade? It'll be fun." Allen said with a wink. Asuka smiled.

"Only if you're paying for the tokens." Asuka grinned evilly. Allen laughed, and nodded.

"I'll meet you in front of the school. See ya later, Asuka." Allen stood up smoothly, having finished his lunch, and strode back to the classroom. Asuka couldn't help but stare after the retreating form.

***

"Mother-Deceased, huh? Let's check more in detail on that…" Drac clicked on the shortcut, bringing up the description of her mother's death. He nearly gagged 'Quite a trauma for her…'

"She was close to Kaji as well? Hmm… That might be worth looking into…" Drac said, closing the file on Asuka. He then entered Rei's file. And wished that he hadn't.

"Eep. So Rei's a clone? Not an upside… Not like it changes anything…" Drac said to himself. He closed the file on Rei, and began to open Shinji's file.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Drac heard a voice from down the hall. Drac immediately stopped what he was doing, and instead began to play a game of pong.

***

Rei had come back to class early from lunch to apologize to the Sensei for falling asleep in class. He halfheartedly forgave her and returned to the lesson plans he was setting up. Rei sat down in her usual seat, and stared out the window at a bird. The bird, seeing a friendly person, decided that he wanted to talk to it. Sadly, the window was closed, and the bird smashed into the window.

Rei gasped and went outside to check on the bird. Its skull had been smashed to a useless pulp on impact. Rei found herself crying quietly over the poor dead bird's body. A hand that rested itself on her shoulder caused her to jump. Behind her was Tashiama Allen, the new student.

"The bird died in a happy way… Staring into the face of one so captivatingly beautiful… Tears don't become you, Ms. Ayanami. You should smile more, to show the world how bright it can be." Allen said compassionately. Rei found her heart racing, and her breathing became shallow and quick. Allen backed away several steps before turning around and heading back to the classroom.

'Wow….' Rei thought, trying to slow down her heart rate.

***

"Hey Shinji, I have a question." Drac said, poking his head into Shinji's room.

"What is it?" Shinji said, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"What kind of a relationship did Asuka have with Kaji?" Drac asked.

"Well… I believe she had a crush on him." Shinji said.

"Hmm… Interesting…" Drac left the room. About 15 minutes later, he had been talking on the phone with someone, Drac poked his head around the corner again.

"Shinji, about what time did Asuka's teasing escalate?" Drac asked.

"What do you mean, Drac?" Shinji asked.

"I just got off the phone with Misato. I spent 5 minutes of that explaining why I didn't go to school today… But she told me something interesting. She said Asuka's teasing of you was becoming increasingly worse, and then had just stopped. About what time did her teasing escalate?" Drac repeated his question.

"It was… About after… Kaji… Oh my God… Asuka." Shinji sat up, bringing a hand to his head. "She was picking on me as a way to cope for the loss of Kaji, wasn't she?" Shinji said guiltily.

"Honestly, Shinji, I give you a pair of glasses so that you can see ahead of you, and you poke your eye out when trying to put them on. I give up." Drac said, frustrated.

'Shinji will never get it. Kaji and Shinji were the only men in her life that she cared about. When Kaji "died" Asuka reached out to the only other male that she cared about. However, the only relationship she knew with Shinji was to tease him, so she teased him twice as hard…'

'When she decided to tease Shinji with faking a relationship, it was her subconscious trying to become more intimate with Shinji, what she truly wanted. But when her logical mind caught on to this, she disgusted herself. Even though she truly wanted so be with Shinji, her tortured mind wouldn't put up with "a spineless wimp".'

'Shinji doesn't even realize his feelings for Asuka. When he saw her being nice to him, he rejoiced. He wanted so badly to be with Asuka, he didn't care about the pitfall that he knew was there. He didn't even prepare himself for it. He let Asuka take complete control of his heart, knowing that she would rip it to shreds. When Asuka did this, however, She did something that Shinji's father never could have done.'

'Shinji's father could inflict pain to his son, which Shinji would have taken in stride. He could have, and did, cause great emotional pain to Shinji through abandonment, causing Shinji to run away. What he could never do, was tear Shinji's soul asunder. Love is a thing derived from all the aspects of being. Mind, Body, Heart, Spirit and Soul.'

'Mind is your intelligence, of course. Body would be your strength and physical desires. Heart controls emotions like Joy and Sorrow. Spirit is your Will, what you can stand up to for how long. Finally, the Soul is your Faith, Honor, Loyalty, and, most importantly, Hope. The Soul is the driving force in your life; what allows you to keep going'

'Shinji had given her everything he had, and Asuka had thrown away. She had cut a wound so deep in his being, that no treatment could ever hope to heal. Having everything taken from him, he had nothing left. He had lost control and, afterwards, became a sobbing wreck on the floor. He had loved Asuka with more than his heart, and she took pleasure in destroying him.'

'Shinji, I can understand why you did that, but that's no excuse for moping around. You have to take back everything she has discarded. If you don't you'll just wither away and die…'

'And I doubt anyone wants that. Especially not Asuka…'

End of Chapter 4

I'd like to apologize for the poor writing style in this chapter. It just wasn't up to my normal standards, but people were complaining, and I couldn't wait for the NORMAL PLOT DEVELOPMENT THAT I USUALLY HAVE!

{Glares at Tommyrude and Red Horseman}


	5. Chapter 5

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Note to Red Horsemen: I **_HAVE_** READ SOME OF THE MANGA! I **_HAVE_** WATCHED THE WHOLE SERIES, but not the movies because I don't understand Japanese and I can't find the subtitled versions anywhere except GVSU campus, and my sister won't check them out for me…

I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time to read all the Manga or watch the whole Eva series again. Not to mention the fact that Magnum opus, my Anime supplier, moved to Texas…

Chapter 5

"Hey, Shinji." He heard someone's voice. He threw a pillow over his head to drown it out. After a few minutes, Shinji drifted back to sleep…

SPLASH!

Shinji jumped out of his bed as a bucket of cold water was upended over his head.

"You can skip school, but if you skip a sync test, NERV will be extremely pissed." Drac said with a scowl.

Shinji stood up and grabbed a towel to dry himself off. Not bothering with a shower, Shinji got changed and met Drac by the door. Shinji found it difficult to put on his shoes, for the fact that he was still half asleep. Drac led Shinji outside to find that the sun had not even risen yet. Drac went to get some ice for the newly created wound on his head, and they were off.

Shinji realized that they weren't headed towards NERV.

"Where are we going?" Shinji asked.

"We're going to Rei-chan's place. We are going to walk with her to NERV." Drac said.

"So you woke me up at this ungodly hour, just so that you could pick up Rei before we went to NERV." Shinji growled.

"Yup." Drac said, unfazed. Shinji decided to let it go. When they arrived at Rei's door, Shinji ALMOST rang the doorbell, then remembered its condition. He knocked on the door instead. Drac shoved his way in front of Shinji and smiled brightly. He hadn't noticed that Drac had been carrying a bouquet of violets.

Rei came to the door in a nightie, which happened to be just a little too small because it showed off most of her legs and it was too tight in the chest. Drac's eyes grew as large as saucers. When Rei saw Drac, she smiled. Not a big smile, only the corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly.

"Hello, Drac. How are you today?" Rei said.

"Uh……………………………………………………" Drac replied. Rei looked at what she was wearing, flushed slightly, and invited them in. Shinji pushed Drac into the living room and sat him down on the couch, making sure that Rei didn't see the flowers until Drac wanted her to. Shinji sat down in a chair and waited for Rei to come in.

'Since when does Rei have a couch?' Shinji thought while waiting.

Drac regained his senses mere seconds before Rei entered the room again, fully clothed.

"Hi, Rei! How are you?" Drac said energetically.

"I am well. And you?" Rei asked quietly.

"I'm great. You remembered that we have a Sync test today, didn't you?" Drac asked. Rei sat down next to Drac on the couch.

"I had forgotten. When is it?" Rei asked quietly.

"Around 10 o'clock." Drac said casually.

"It's six right now, Drac." Shinji said glaring angrily.

"Is it, Shinji? I would have never known if you wouldn't have told me. Thank you very much for pointing out the obvious to me. Rei, did Shinji help you realize that it was 6 o'clock when the clock on the wall shows as such?" Drac said sarcastically.

"Oh, yes. I would have never known that it was six o'clock if Shinji had not pointed it out to me. Thank you very much, Shinji, for pointing out what time it is." Rei said quietly. There was a 5-second pause before both of them burst out into laughter. That scared him.

It was not the fact that they were both picking on him, but the fact that Rei was laughing, was the scary thing. After a few minutes they had stopped laughing at Shinji, who had sufficient time to fume.

The three branched into a conversation that lasted several hours, and all the while, Shinji was amazed at how much emotion Rei was displaying. She would laugh, pout, feign anger, and be generally clingy to Drac. Of course, Shinji knew what was going on. Shinji wasn't blind when it came to these sort of things.

(Note: Yes, he is, but not on this point…)

Rei had a huge crush on Drac, and Drac was equally infatuated with her. When Drac had given her the flowers, She had squealed with delight. Literally. As in the noise is relatively high pitched, generally signifying happiness. She quickly got a vase to put it in, 'Since when does Rei have vases?', and returned to holding Drac's hand and leaning on him ever so slightly.

Not that Drac was complaining…

It was 9 a.m. before they knew it, and they started out for NERV. Shinji was laughing on the inside, saying, 'Drac, you lucky dog…'

***

Asuka grudgingly drug herself out of bed, and took a shower. She got dressed and headed out the door, not bothering to eat breakfast. Without Shinji making breakfast for her, things just weren't the same. She would wake up and yell at him that he had made the wrong thing, then she would eat it slowly, occasionally shooting evil glares at Shinji for no apparent reason other than to watch him quiver.

She would then, if Shinji hadn't already taken a shower, beat him up and take one before him. It had become a rather enjoyable ritual for her, and now it was gone. It just wasn't the same without Shinji around to torment…

She recalled the day when she had first decided to live here. She had caught Shinji rather off guard, as well as Touji and Kensuke. She even remembered the exact words she had said to him…

"Having _you_ around will be such a _perfect_ little stress reliever… I'll take good care of you, Shinji." She had said in the cruelest whisper she could muster. She remembered the depressed look that had washed over his face before she had ordered him to move all his stuff into the next-door closet.

'Oh, yeah. I took **_REAL_** good care of him…" Asuka thought with a twinge of sarcasm. 'When you have something for so long, you tend to take it for granted… When it's gone, you feel empty inside.'

Misato was right. Asuka had ruined their family.

***

"Oh, GET A ROOM!" Shinji shouted at a confused Drac and Rei. Drac looked at Rei, she looked at him, and they both shrugged at Shinji's comment like they didn't know what he was talking about. Shinji sighed and headed for the locker room at double the speed he was before, trying to put as much distance between the two as possible.

Shinji wasn't against public displays of affection, but too much of it made him physically sick.

Shinji changed into his plug suit quickly, and sat down, waiting for Drac. Drac popped in, and began changing as well. As Drac was changing, however, Shinji noticed many small black marks on Drac's right side. They were mostly circular, but some appeared to be long black gashes in the skin.

"Where'd you get those, Drac?" Shinji asked, not expecting the response Drac gave. Drac acted surprised, saddened, and then angry.

"None of your damn bussiness!" Drac spat. Drac finished changing and left the room in a huff.

Shinji cleared his throat and followed. They met up at the Cage, where Rei and Asuka were already there. He noticed that neither Ritsuko nor Misato had appeared yet.

"Where's Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Apparently, they have found another pilot and they are briefing him now." Rei responded in a Rei-like tone. "This would be the Seventh Child, right?" Rei asked Drac in a not so Rei-like tone. Asuka shuddered.

"Why is NERV getting so many pilots…?" Drac whispered to Shinji. "Aren't all the Angels supposed to be gone?" Shinji just shrugged and waited for Misato to arrive.

***

Asuka had begun to get impatient. She didn't like waiting for **_ANYTHING_**, much less something that she didn't particularly want to do. She began to think of ways that would make the Seventh Child pay for his rudeness. The Rack, perhaps… Maybe a whipping… But what if the Seventh Child was a perv? He'd like that too much. Maybe she'd hang him by his toes from the barn roof while his older siblings laughed at him…

(Note: Sorry. Private joke. You wouldn't get it unless you were someone in my immediate family.)

When Misato and Ritsuko entered the room, she prepared to beat the crap out of the Seventh Child. When Allen came in, all thoughts of cruelty left her mind.

"Allen? You're the Seventh Child?" Asuka asked surprised.

"Yeah, that means I will have the pleasure of seeing you in all your magnificence every time we have a sync test." Allen bowed, flashing a dashing smile at Asuka. Asuka smiled back slightly.

***

Drac knew what this man was. What Drac wondered was why they would risk 'Allen' by having him pilot an Eva…

Asuka had climbed into her Eva, as well as Shinji. Drac noticed that 'Allen' was talking with Rei, and listened in.

"So, Rei, are you feeling better today? Last time we met, your eyes were full of tears. You look MUCH more beautiful when you aren't crying…" 'Allen' said, casually running a hand through Rei's hair.

'Allen' left for his Eva without letting Rei respond. Drac definitely did NOT like this guy. He was NOT going to let him take Rei away from him. And he was NOT going to have a lower sync ratio than him.

***

"So, how are they doing?" Misato asked. Ritsuko was still messing with a few instruments.

"I'm starting the test now, Misato. I don't know yet." Ritsuko said, irritated.

"It never took you this long to set it up before." Misato said. She looked at the numbers by the pilots on the display screen, and her jaw dropped.

"That's because Maya has always been here before to help… **_MY GOD_**! What the **_HELL_**!" Ritsuko said. On the monitor, Drac was concentrating greatly with a look of anger on his face. On the display, it showed that his sync ratio was a perfect 100%. But that wasn't even the most startling.

Allen was relaxing in his Eva, not even trying, and he was ALSO getting a perfect 100%. Misato noticed Drac's face change from a look of anger, to a look of pain as his sync ratio increased from 100% to 125% as it continued to climb.

"Drac?!?" Misato cried over the intercom. Drac made a small whimper, followed by a cry of extreme pain. "Ritsuko, get him out of there!" Misato cried.

"I'm not stupid! I've been trying! The Eva's not accepting the signal!" Ritsuko cried. Misato cursed. "Disconnecting umbilical cord!" Ritsuko said, slamming down on the console. The umbilical cord disconnected from the Eva as it began to bash on the walls of the Cage. The Eva roared and swung violently at anything in sight. The power clock on the Eva reached 0, and the Eva went totally silent.

Misato ran to the Eva's plug to help Drac, but she was one step behind. Rei had already gotten out of her Eva and pulled Drac out of the plug. Drac's plug suit, which HAD been yellow, now had black marks on his right side, some circular, some linear. Drac was crying out in pain, and Rei was crying with worry, clutching him to her breast.

Misato, with Rei's help, carried Drac to the infirmary. When Ritsuko arrived, she appeared generally startled.

"How did Rei get out, Misato?" Ritsuko asked curiously.

"What, you didn't open the pilots' plugs yet?" Misato asked, confused.

"No, Misato, I didn't." Ritsuko said, contemplating.

Rei held Drac in her arms as his cries dulled down, and quieted into a whimpering.

"Maybe Brian was right…" Ritsuko whispered to herself.

"What was that, Rit-chan?" Misato asked.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself. You should probably let the other pilots out of their Evas. Asuka's probably having a hernia right now… I'll check out what's wrong with Drac…" Ritsuko said, trailing off.

Misato headed for the cage to let the other pilots out, wondering, "What the Hell is going on?"

***

Drac felt an increasingly unbearable agony bursting from his side. He cried out, too consumed with pain to even think strait. He could feel the LCL around him become tainted, and he felt the Eva quickly sliding out of his control.

Shortly after that, Drac lost consciousness. He found himself drifting… The memories he tried to repress were coming back… He remembered the thing they had put in him… Black and distorted, they had cut him open and stuck it in him. No painkillers, but many scalpels and electrodes…

And the burning pain… The pain he was feeling now… That was where the taint was coming from… Some evil thing that his step-father had put in him… He and… Brian… Brian was there too…

He didn't remember that part. He didn't remember Brian being there. He remembered Brian shouting something about anesthetics before it all went black. Brian had encouraged what had happened, but not the process. He liked the ends, but not the means. 

'Why? Why have this thing in me at all?'

It didn't make sense. Did it mean that Brian was using him too? Brian, who had been his Father figure when Brad wouldn't be? He remembered when Brian had made the proposal.

"I will use you, but only of your own free will. I need your help to defeat the evils that Brad and Gendo are creating. Will you help me, Drac?" Brian had said to the petrified 9-year-old. Drac had agreed to the conditions. Partial, but temporary memory erasure, and temporary disabling of a certain chemical in his brain, causing him to go insane. The effects of both had worn off; he now had full memory and sanity.

'But what have you erased permanently, Brian? Are you the same as they are? No. You were willing to die for your cause, and they have their cause so that they can live.' Drac thought.

The door to the plug flew open, and Drac regained consciousness. The pain had not gone away. It had, in fact increased. Drac cried out in pain. He felt gentle hands pull him out of the plug, and pull him close. He had not opened his eyes, put he could tell that it was Rei. The only one left who cared about him solely because he was himself, and not because of whom he was.

Feeling Rei's body close to him had a calming, sheltering effect on him, and the pain slowly began to deteriorate. He felt himself being carried somewhere. He couldn't see through the glassy haze over his eyes, and yet he knew that Rei was still close to him, maybe one of the people helping carry him.

He was set down gently, and felt Rei pull him close once more. Though the pain was excruciating, he gritted his teeth so that Rei wouldn't hear him cry. He didn't want her to worry… But the best he could do was keep it to a whimper. It felt as though acid was eating through his side.

He had to talk to Brad…

***

Brad leaned back in his desk, relaxing for the first time in 20 years. He had been so busy that he had never had the time to stop and rest. However, when he wasn't busy, his mind began to dwell on the things he had done on the past… The things that Brad didn't want to think about…

The phone rang and broke Brad out of his revelry. He slowly picked up the reciever and answered. "Hello?" Brad asked cautiously.

"Hello, Brad. We have a situation down here, and you have been requested. You really should hurry. My office. Bye," Ritsuko said, and hung up the phone without giving him a chance to answer. Brad sighed and headed for Ritsuko's office. When he arrived, Ritsuko ushered him in. He found Drac lying in Rei's crying arms. Brad took note that Drac was in quite a lot of pain. When Drac noticed Brad's entrance, Drac said one word.

"Alone…" Through gritted teeth, barely audible.

"Are you sure, Drac? I wouldn't—" Rei started, concerned. Drac interrupted her.

"Alone!" Drac said, obviously pushing the word through a great lot of pain. Rei nodded, and left the room. Ritsuko followed her reluctantly, and closed the door. Drac began to ask something, and coughed up a little blood. After the coughing fit, he began again.

"What… What did you do… to me…?" Drac said violently. Brad understood. He was referring to the implant…

"I'm surprised you remember about that, Drac. You weren't supposed to remember… But none the less, You do, and you want me to fix it, is that correct?" Brad said, unconcerned. Brad heard a small voice inside weep, he heard it every once and a while, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He noticed Drac shake his head.

"Why…?" Drac asked quietly. Drac didn't care about the pain he was feeling, or how to stop it, but why Brad, his stepfather, would want to do this to him. Brad didn't want to answer, he didn't care about Drac or anything about him, but the small voice in his head pushed it's way through and forced the answer out.

"This was in the early days of the Evas, Drac. NERV found the berserker ability in the Evas long before Shinji's first encounter with it, as they previously claimed. They had a few people independently working on ways to create that state without having the pilot loose consciousness. Brian and I found that technology. There is a certain chemical that, when newly created can cause an Eva to go berserker, and keep the pilot awake, but when the chemical becomes more than four seconds old, it looses its radioactive potency and breaks up into air, water, and other various chemical combinations that are ineffective.

"It was my idea to create a gland that would generate the chemical inside the plug. Brian was totally against it, but I went along with the procedure anyway. On you. He arrived when we were half way through. After we convinced him of the dangers of halting the operation immediately, he began to insist that you be put on painkillers. We did so, and you went unconscious. After the operation, we tested you out in one of the artificial Eva plugs, and simulations showed that the gland worked.

"However, the gland caused so much pain to the pilot, that it knocked them unconscious anyway, so the project was declared useless. Had you actually been a pilot, you would have been unconscious for weeks, causing the project to be scraped by NERV…" Brad paused, then continued. "I developed a chemical to shut down the gland immediately… I don't know why, I just felt…" Brad trailed off.

"Responsible…" Drac said bitterly. Brad thought about it and nodded.

"I guess. I did. Once. Anyway, here you go." He placed a small vial on the table. Brad never knew why he carried it around. Maybe it was his subconscious telling him that what he was doing was wrong… "Drink it, and you'll feel better. Or don't. I don't care. Have a nice day, Drac." Brad waved half-heartedly, and left the room. Rei immediately dashed into the room, while Ritsuko stepped up to him with a serious expression on her face.

"What did you tell him, Brad?" Ritsuko asked.

"The truth." Brad responded.

"That is not the best thing to give this boy right now. He already hates you enough. Do you really need to add on to it?" Ritsuko asked.

"I really don't care how much this boy hates me," Brad lied. He slowly walked away, thinking about the things he had done in his past…

***

Drac stared at the medicine for a very short time before taking it. Drac had decided that it wasn't Brad's fault. Brad had problems in his life. Brad was disturbed by the death of his wife, Drac's mother. That is why he left. He couldn't bear it anymore. He was so hurt that he couldn't take the pain of looking into the face of the boy who only reminded him of what he once had, his love.

He no longer hated Brad. Brad, deep down, felt sorry for what crimes he had committed. He was a poor tortured soul underneath it all. He felt the hate of Brad be removed, but it was still there. It still burned inside of him. The pain and suffering… The anguish he had felt… Whose fault was it? He would find whoever had done this to him, and make him pay…

***

"Well, you check out okay, but I want to keep you here for a day or two." Ritsuko said calmly to Drac, Rei still holding his hand. "We aren't sure what side effects you may experience through this. Dr. Thomas has informed me of the situation…" The phone rang. Ritsuko answered. "Yes…? Yes, he is, sir… Right now, sir…? Yes, sir. Right away, sir." Ritsuko hung up the phone, an looked at Drac warily.

"Yes?" Drac asked, curious.

"The Commander wishes to speak with you." Ritsuko said quietly, leaving the room deep in thought. 

***

"You wished to see me, Commander?" Drac asked with a slight twinge of bitterness.

"Could you do it again, Sixth Child?" Gendo asked.

"Pardon, sir?" Drac asked, not sure as to the Commander's meaning.

"What you did in Unit-05 today. Could you do it again?" Gendo asked firmly. Drac hesitated before answering.

"Yes… Sir." Drac put the sir on the end as an afterthought, nearly forgetting that this man was his superior as well as his enemy.

"Good. That will be all, Sixth Child. You may leave now." Gendo said, turning away from Drac.

Drac held in the spit in his mouth until he was out of the room.

***

"So it finally kicked in, huh?" Kaji asked, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"You knew about this, and you never told me?!?" Drac demanded.

"You're on a need to know basis, Drac. Be grateful that I tell you as much as I do. The Organization doesn't trust you as much as I do…" Kaji trailed off, slight irritation in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Kaji. It's just that, I have this thing put in me against my will, and I don't even know about it until…" Drac's cell phone rang. He looked at Kaji questioningly and answered it. After a few seconds, he hung up the phone and stood.

"I thought all the Angels were gone, Kaji. Why's there one coming?" Drac said calmly. The cigarette fell from his mouth.

***

"Where's Drac?" Misato asked fiercely. Maya patched into NERV security and checked on him.

"NERV Security has lost contact with the Sixth Child his whereabouts are unknown." Maya said calmly.

"Never mind! We can't wait for him!" Misato turned to the Eva pilots. "Get in your Evas! When Drac gets here, we will send him up as well!"

"Hai!" The four present Eva pilots said in unison, then boarded their Evas. Misato found herself wondering why Allen was assigned to pilot Kaoru's Eva…

"Eva's launch!" Misato shouted, sending the Evas towards the surface to battle their foe.

"Visual confirmation. The source of the Blue pattern is… A giant ball of fire?" Maya brought the Angel up on the monitor. "Yes. The angel is 83.2% pure flame. It melts everything it comes in contact with." Maya reported.

"Shinji! Asuka!" Misato called over the comm. link.

"Hai!" They both responded.

"You will commence with a frontal assault on the angel! Allen and Rei will lie in back and cover your advance!"

"Hai!" Shinji and Asuka moved, drawing their progressive knives and moving in on the monster in perfect sync. Misato smiled slightly, thinking that this was probably the remnants of their sync training together.

"Bullets are having no effect, Ma'am." Maya reported. "They melt before they even come in contact with the core."

"Damn!" Misato said, biting her lip. Both Shinji and Asuka thrust their knives at the angel at the same time, aimed for its core.

The knives melted to a large pool of molten metal on the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?" Misato shouted. The creature punched both Evas in the shoulder, melting those as well. It did not stop it's advance. "Shinji! Asuka! Report!"

"Lost my shoulder…" Shinji said through gritted teeth.

"Stop being such a baby! It'll take more than that to stop the great Asuka Langley Sohryu!" Asuka screamed, charging at the angel. It turned, raised a flaming fist, and launched a gigantic fireball at Unit 02. "ARGH!" Unit 02 fell to the ground a large hole in its abdomen.

"ASUKA!" Shinji cried. Suddenly Unit 01 let out a roar that echoed throughout the city.

"Shinji…?" Misato whispered. Shinji's Eva had gone into Berzerker mode. "Cut the umbilical cord to Unit 01! Do it!" Misato cried. The umbilical cord broke free, and fell to the ground.

The raging Eva sent itself flying at the angel at full speed. He hit the angel and sent it flying into the ocean. Unit 01 lay on the ground, half melted and immobile. Unit 04 went racing after the angel and threw it's progressive knife strait at the now exposed core, piercing it. The Angel let out a final roar before it went silent.

"Shinji! Are you alright?!?" Misato called over the comm. link.

No response.

"Someone get down there! Now! Get Shinji out of there!" Misato barked orders. Gendo sat behind his desk, hands over his face, smiling at the scene before him.

***

"Third degree burns over most of his body, and yet his hair is untouched! How is that possible?" Misato wondered aloud.

"The LCL boiled him, Misato. That is how he received his burns. Not from the flame directly." Ritsuko responded, not lifting her gaze from her clipboard. Shinji opened his eyes to see Misato's smiling face.

"Good Morning, Shinji. How are you feeling?" Misato asked.

"Like crap." Shinji said blandly. He sat up and looked around the room. Rei was sitting in a chair next to Drac, and Asuka had fallen asleep in an armchair in the corner. The room was the usual dull white of a hospital. Hearing Shinji's voice had obviously awoken her, for Asuka had stood up and left the room.

"Asuka…" Shinji whispered.

"She was worried about you too, Shinji-kun. We all were…" Misato trailed off. Drac stood up and leaned against the rail of the bed.

"Hey, Shinji! I see you're feeling better!" Drac said, giving him a pat on the back. Shinji winced at the pain. "Oops! Sorry. Your burns… Well, I… I got some stuff to do. See ya around, Shinji!" Drac said, and left.

"Get well soon, Shinji." Rei said before running out of the room after him.

"Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, Shinji?" Misato responded.

"What day is it?" Shinji asked.

"Friday, I think. You missed out on school again…" Misato grinned. Shinji chuckled slightly. He missed living with Misato and Asuka. It was never dull around that house…

***

Allen lay in his bed, remembering things. Or at least trying to remember them…

Allen couldn't remember anything before he started living with Brian and Carie.

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt, but he could feel that if he tried hard enough, he could remember it…

"It's awake." The creature heard a voice. The creature had no idea what it was doing in existence, nor what hearing was. It just knew. He saw a light emanate from a short distance away, in the shape of a long sliver.

"Close the door. Too much stimulus for it at one time can be harmful at first." The same voice called to the second presence in the room. The creature could feel itself adjusting to the darkness. Objects could be made out through the dense blanket of night that held it warmly. The presence he had felt before solidified into a being, a bipedial creature with two arms. It was symmetric in its body features along its spine.

"Don't you think it's getting a bit big for its tube, Brad?" The second being asked the first. These two beings were similar in design.

"Yes, I believe we will have to take it out soon." The first being traveled a short distance towards a smaller machine, which was making noise and feeding out something thin.

"Brad, look! Its eyes are open! Hi there, little fella!" The second figure put a finger against the glass. The creature felt the warmth of the being's finger spread across the liquid that it was in. It was a pleasant feeling to have the heat to its body. It reached out to the heat source hoping for more. "Hey Brad! Look! It's touching my finger through the glass!" the second being said to the first excitedly.

"Please don't touch the glass, Brian. It's a very sensitive organism. It's not ready for high stimulation yet. That's why we can only use black light in this room." The first being addressed the second.

"Alright, alright." The second being removed its finger, making the creature feel cold again. The cold made the creature feel empty. It scraped against the glass gently, in hopes of making the warmth return.

"Amazing. It already has a heat preference. Things are ahead of schedule. It can see us as well! And hear! It can't taste or smell yet, due to the lack of a mouth or nose. That will be developing shortly…" The first figure said, ecstatic. The second figure smiled broadly.

"Three minutes of consciousness, and it already has three of the five senses. That's record time, I should think. I wouldn't be surprised if it had learned English already!" The second figure laughed.

"Oh, it does. Its cerebrum was implanted with a memory chip that is accessible to its mind. It understands Latin, Greek, German, English, Chinese, Japanese, and French. I believe that was all of them, but I'm not sure. I'll have to look on Commander Ikari's report." The first figure reached for a piece of parchment a short distance away from him. "It also understands Slavic and Morse Code, for reasons beyond me. The memory chip not only allows it to understand these languages, but also read and write them. Once it develops hands, that is."

"So, when will we be able to stop calling it "it"?" the second figure asked. The first figure thought about this slightly.

"MAGI said it had a 53% chance of being male, but I would like to wait until it is at least 80%. The creature would probably be upset if it ended up as a girl and we referred to it as a boy… I'd give it, at the rate it's growing, 5 more days. That ought to be a sufficient time to ask MAGI again. We will have to move it to a bigger tube. It hasn't developed a self-sustaining digestive system as of yet, so we can't remove it just yet. The next tube it is it will have to be heated, as well…" The first being left the room deep in thought. Seeing the first being leave, the remaining being put its finger against the glass.

"My name is Brian. What's yours, little guy?" The being asked tenderly. The creature decided that it liked the Being Brian better than the other being. The being Brian had been calling the first being Brad, so the creature thought that the first being's name must have been that.

"Gro…" the creature said. The creature felt its throat vibrate as liquid rushed through it. 'So that is how the Beings "Talk".' The creature thought. The creature was surprised by this thought greatly. These were the first thoughts in any language that it had. It was Japanese that had entered its mind first. The creature was pleased and delighted by this new discovery.

"Brad! It just cried out!" the Being Brian cried out with joy out the open door. The Being Brad immediately rushed into the room, and approached the tube. He tapped up against the glass lightly in a slight pattern. The creature developed a warm feeling in its head as its mind analyzed the data that it was receiving. "You may communicate to us like this." The finger said. The tapping against the glass was Morse Code. The creature felt a rush of joy as it tapped out its own message.

"Hello." The creature replied. The Being Brad smiled slightly, placing his hand on the glass lightly, providing a great source of heat. The Being Brian appeared confused. The creature looked at the Being Brian, causing The Being Brad to look at him as well.

"What's wrong, Brian?" The Being Brad asked. The Being Brian shook his head.

"Why are you tapping on the glass like that? You just told me not to." The Being Brian questioned his counterpart.

"It can understand Morse Code, idiot! It can already communicate with us! We are WEEKS ahead of schedule! Of course, now, we can't leave him alone… He'll get lonely… Wait. Brian, you don't understand Morse Code, do you?" The Being Brad asked accusingly.

"Well… Um… No, not really…" The Being Brian responded ashamed. The Being Brad nodded.

"Neither do many of the lab assistants. Well, let's see if our friend over seas was prepared for this." The Being Brad left the room a second time, leaving him alone with the Being Brian. The creature suddenly felt an urge to close its eyes. It had been thinking to hard, and now it was tired. It slowly closed it's eyes and curled up into a ball.

'Sleep…' the creature thought as it drifted off into dreamland.

Brian awoke from the dream sweating profusely. Allen began to cry. Every time he thought he had almost remembered past the barrier he felt, he had the same dream involving Brian and Brad…

'Does this mean… I'm that creature? NO! I'm a normal kid! My mother was a scientist! She died in an experiment at the lab she was working at! She had taken me there! The reason I can't remember is because I got a head wound! I'm not a freak! I'm a normal kid…' Allen cried himself to sleep…

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I've introduced a new character into this chapter! I was having a real problem as to the personality and background of this person, then something hit me and I totally burst it out of proportion. Also, I know everyone's going to hate me for this, but I made Kensuke cooler than he actually is… I'm trying to overcompensate for the fact that I am a computer nerd myself… Oh, well. "Let them read fics." As no one has ever said. 

Chapter 6

Rei was feeling exceptionally tired. She had awakened with out an alarm clock, and she was still dead tired. She climbed out of bed and got dressed. She went to the kitchen and ate some breakfast. As she was eating, she noticed the flowers that Drac had given her, in the vase that Drac had given her.

Blue violets in a blue vase set in the center of a table with a blue table cloth that had also been supplied by Drac. Drac seemed to be obsessed with the color blue. After a few moments, she noted the connection that her HAIR was blue, and thus, Drac was picking out things that matched her hair.

Drac hadn't bought her anything extremely expensive, he didn't have that kind of money, but it wasn't how much it cost, or even what it was, but the thought that he put into it. The fact that he bought things for her at all signified that Drac wished for more than just friendship, and Shinji's words, "oh, GET A ROOM!" had enlightened her on how she felt for Drac. She liked to hold his hand, she liked to lean on his shoulder, and she liked to talk to him.

'Is there anything else needed?' she wondered. 'Yes, there needs to be more than that. There needs to be emotions in there somewhere…'

Rei felt happy when Drac entered the room, sad when he was sad, terrified when he was in pain, and when he smiled… Oh, when he smiled… He gave Rei the feeling of complete and utter security and comfort that nothing could break. It wasn't what she usually felt, that calm tranquility, but more a feeling of supreme content…

She felt that there was no one else in the world that she could trust more than him.

"Drac…" Rei whispered, and sighed happily.

***

Drac heard the telephone ring and picked up the phone beside his bed. He wondered who would be calling at 6:00 in the morning on a Saturday…

"Hello, Hello?" Drac said, trying not to sound drowsy.

"Oh, Drac! I'm sorry! Did I wake you?" Rei asked, surprised.

"No, I was asleep anyway…" Drac said, sitting up and stretching.

"Oh, that's good…" Rei said, slightly unsure of her words. With a rejuvenated cheer, she said, "I was wondering if you wanted to do something today, sometime around now." Drac jumped and pulled some clothes out of the dresser.

"I'd love to, Rei! I'll be right over!" Drac said enthusiastically.

"Okay! See ya soon! Bye!" Rei said, hanging up the phone. Drac quickly changed and popped out into the hallway, nearly running over Rei. He jumped.

"Ngya! How did you—" Drac began, and Rei waved her Cell phone under his nose. Drac smiled sheepishly, and grabbed his wallet from the cupboard where he kept it. "Shall we be off?"

As they walked to the nearest mall, the talked about nothing in particular. Drac wasn't paying much attention to the direction towards which the direction was heading, otherwise he would have seen it coming. Alas, he was too focused on the feel of her hand and the scent of her perfume. 'Why's Rei wearing perfume…?' a stray thought popped into his head.

"Drac, do you like me?" Rei asked innocently. Drac was caught off guard by this question.

"Well, of course I like you, Rei. We're friends." Drac replied, oblivious to the subtle inquiry.

"No. Not that… Do you LIKE me?" Rei asked in a sensuous voice. Drac froze. His heart had skipped a beat.

"Well, uh er ah um…" Drac replied, using the full extent of his vocabulary to get his point across.

"Just say yes, and then you can kiss me." Rei said in a mock anger.

"YES!" Drac said immediately. The statement Rei made above wasn't true. She didn't let Drac kiss her. She kissed him. She jumped on top of him, and kissed him long and longingly. After several minutes, they broke the kiss, and Rei helped a dazed Drac off the ground.

"That was fun… Let's try it again sometime…" Rei whispered into his ear before darting off in the direction of the mall.

"Hey, Rei! Wait up!" Drac shouted after her. Drac remembered that Rei used to follow him around everywhere… Now, it was his turn…

***

Kensuke, who had just came from Misato's place, was a little confused. Apparently, Shinji had moved to the Sixth Child's house.

"Since when is there a Sixth Child?!?" Kensuke asked.

"Where have you been, you stooge? There's a Seventh Child now!" Asuka growled before going into her room in a huff. Misato had given him an address and a phone number. Kensuke was on his way there. Allen was the Seventh Child. Drac was the Sixth, and hadn't been to school the whole time he had been enrolled there. The scary thing was, he had only skipped one day. All the others were accounted for and excused…

Kensuke ran into someone carrying a great many things because he wasn't paying attention.

"I'm sorry!" Kensuke apologized, and hurried to help the person pick up the groceries.

"No, I'm sorry. I couldn't see where I was going." The girl said, also picking up the groceries that she dropped. They both reached to pick up the same carton of eggs, and froze.

Kensuke looked into her eyes, and she looked into his. She had beautiful green eyes…

Kensuke broke away and began to help pick the stuff up again. "Are you okay?" he asked, slightly NERVous*. She nodded her head shyly and put some of the food in one of the bags.

(*It's so funny! NERV-ous! HAHAHA!**)

(**Not really…)

"I'm fine… Are you? That was quite a collision there…" She said quietly, with a slight smile on her face.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking… Uh, oh. One of your bags ripped." Kensuke pointed out.

"Oh, no… What am I going to do now…?" She said, ready to cry.

"I can help you carry your groceries for you! It's the least I can do after bumping into you like that!" Kensuke said cheerily. The girl brightened almost immediately.

"Oh, would you? It would help me a lot! My name's Yumi. Kanashimi Yumi. And you are?" Yumi said offering her hand for a hand shake. Kensuke decided to try something different…

"My name is Aida Kensuke, fair maiden. Your beautiful smile has brightened my day!" Kensuke said while kneeling on one knee and kissing her hand. Yumi giggled and blushed, turning her head away slightly.

"Charmed, I'm sure." She said sweetly. Kensuke helped her carry her groceries to her house. He put what he was carrying on the table, and helped her put it away. "Thank you, Kensuke." She said gratefully.

"No, It was the least I could do for a damsel in distress!" Kensuke said, flourishing an imaginary cape and giving an ever so slight bow. Yumi giggled and finished putting the food away.

"So, Kensuke, do you go to school?" She asked brightly.

"Yeah. Not doing too well, though…" He said, dropping his head in a sweat drop.

"Hey! You're one of the Three Stooges!" Yumi said, finally recognizing Kensuke's face.

"Yeah, but we've been short a member since Touji bit it that one time…" Kensuke said, shrugging.

"I have the same classes as you. Would you mind if I sat by you during school?" Yumi asked hopefully.

"I don't know… Having a pretty girl sitting by us may tarnish our record as loosers…" Kensuke said jokingly. Yumi laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm.

"Don't worry, Yumi's a looser, too!" Came the voice of a slightly older female. Yumi suddenly frowned, but only for a fraction of a second before shifting back into sweetness and sunshine.

"Hi, Cara! How are you?" Yumi asked. "She's my older sister." She whispered to Kensuke.

"So! I see Yumi's got herself a boyfriend!" Cara said mockingly.

"I've only just met him, Cara. He's just my friend." Yumi corrected without changing her smile.

"Uh, huh. A FRIEND will help you carry your groceries home. Right." Cara said sarcastically.

"Well, some friends will." Yumi sniffed. "Don't you have to go to work Cara?" Yumi accused. Cara stuck out her tongue and went upstairs. Some yelling started, as well as a lot of banging. "Kensuke, could you wait here, I have to get something in my room…" She said nervously, and headed upstairs as well.

He heard Yumi shouting as well, and heard more yelling. He heard a loud smash, then a scream and a cry of pain. Kensuke rushed up the stairs and burst into the room from which the loud crash originated. Cara was cowering in the corner from the man in the center. Yumi was on the ground, pieces of a vase surrounding her crumpled body.

"What the HELL?!?" Kensuke shouted. The man turned to Kensuke and swung at him. Obviously not a man skilled in the martial arts. Kensuke, on the other hand, had started taking Judo a few months ago, and was now at the rank of Brown belt.

Kensuke dodged the attack and made a leg sweep, causing the man to fall to the ground. Kensuke then rolled to the center of the room to get some room to fight. The man came at him with a crow bar and Kensuke clipped him in the wrist, causing him to drop it. Kensuke performed a roundhouse kick to the man's gut and sent him flying into the wall.

The man lay on the ground, cowering in front of him.

"Kensuke, STOP!" Yumi shouted, petrified. "He's my father!"

***

"I say we watch a movie now! What's that new romance film, Drac?" Rei asked cheerfully, chocolate ice cream smeared all over her face from her Ice cream cone.

'She looks so cute like that…'

"I believe it was called, You Are My Dreams. I've heard that it's really good." Drac replied, taking a lick of his rocky road ice cream. Shinji had said it was the best time he had ever had.

"Let's go see it! Please?" Rei asked pitifully.

"Sure. We'd better go now to get good seats, though." Drac said, finishing his ice cream cone. Rei stuffed the whole thing in her mouth at once and finished it. Shortly after, she screamed.

"What's wrong, Rei?" Drac said rushing to her side.

"ICE CREAM HEADACHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried. Drac laughed, and took her hand. She smiled and they walked, hand in hand, to the movie theatre.

***

"Sorry, Yumi… I…" Kensuke said, putting the cloth on her head after replacing the other, blood soaked one.

"It's not your fault, Kensuke… It was mine… I shouldn't have talked back to Father…" Yumi said, holding back her tears. "You really should go before Daddy comes downstairs…" Yumi said, putting her head in her hands.

"Okay… See you at school, Yumi." Kensuke said sadly, and left. The reason Yumi didn't have any friends was because of her family, and how they treated each other. It wasn't just her dad either… Her brother and sister were always getting into fights, her mother was always away on business trips, Dad was an alcoholic… Her family was falling apart around her…

And all of her friends were gone too…

She was so afraid of being alone…

'I don't want to be alone…'

***

"I beat you again, Allen! Obviously, you're not very good at this game!" Asuka gloated. "Or maybe it's because I'm TOO good! The great Asuka Langley Sohryu Is better than anyone at anything! HA HA HA!" Asuka laughed triumphantly. They had been playing Bushido Blade 5, and Asuka had wone 5 times in a row, with an average of about 30 seconds per battle. She had been coming with Allen to the Arcade for a few days now, and she always seemed to win every game.

"Well, it's just because I'm not properly motivated. Let's make a wager. If I win this time, I get to kiss you. How about it Second Child? Are you up to it?" Allen asked challenging her. Asuka was never one to turn down a challenge.

"Alright, but if I win, you'll have to do my homework for a month!" Asuka countered.

"You're on, Ms. Sohryu." Allen said, a slight grin passing over his face. The game started. 1.2 seconds later, Asuka's character was on the ground, dead. Allen smiled broadly. Asuka realized that he had been letting her win the whole time…

Had it been anyone else, Asuka would have throttled them…

But Allen had that smile…

"Looks like I owe you a kiss, don't I?" Asuka said, rather seductively.

"Later, when there's no one around. I hear that there's a party going on Sunday. Ya wanna go? It'll be a date." Allen said, raising an eyebrow. Asuka smiled.

"Okay. It's a date. See ya then, Allen…" Asuka stood and left, resisting the urge to look back. She took deep breaths to slow down her heart rate.

'He always does this to me… Why? Why does my heart quicken so…?' Asuka shook her head and continued to walk home, deep in thought.

***

"Flin Longblade! Thou hath betrayed thine brotherhood and consorted with an Elven maiden! For which the penalty is death! Thine only choice be to killeth the Elf, and thou shalt be pardoned. Bringeth the Elven woman!" Shouted the Master of the Brotherhood. Cara was dragged in and thrown on the ground in front of Flin, gasping for breath.

"Flin… My love…" She whispered to her lover in a compassionate, heart-felted voice. "Kill me… Then thou shalt be free. Thou shalt escape death…" Cara sat up slowly, bearing her chest, inviting the blade to pierce her flesh and send her to the Void.

"Be it such a cruel world that I may not spend it with mine heart, mine soul, mine life? 'Tis all there is to be away from her, to part us for eternity?! If such a world dost exist, and I be in it, I want no part of it!" 

"Nary a day passes where I do not desire to hold her near me! Not a sun that passes over us that I do not yearn to be by her side. You deny me the one thing in this world that would bring me happiness and hope?! YOU DENY ME MINE LOVE?!" Flin accused the Master of the Brotherhood with hate and despair.

"Make your choice, Flin! Thee or thine woman!" The Master declared full voice, angered by Flins comments.

"I have made my choice, Master!" Flin shouted defiantly, pointing the dagger defiantly at the Master of the Brotherhood. "A world with out her, a day with out her, a minute, a very second without her would not be worth living! I bid goodbye to this cruel world in hope for a better one! Goodbye, mine love! May we meet in the Void!" Flin shouted and thrust the dagger into his own heart.

"NOOOO!" Cara cried, catching his falling form. "PLEASE, NO!" She pulled him to her chest, weeping a sea of tears.

"Thou hast already pierced my heart, my love… So I pierce mine own heart for thee…" Flin whispered softly before closing his eyes to rest in eternal slumber.

"This world hath taken thee from me, my love, so too I shall take myself from this world!" Taking the dagger thrust into the heart of her lover, she too pierces her heart, and lies by her love, to join him forever in the darkness…

The screen fades.

The credits roll.

Rei leaned on Drac's shoulder crying about the sad ending. Drac held her close and kissed her gently on the cheek. Shinji was right. This was the best movie ever…

Author's note: ;)

***

Shinji lay on the bed, gazing at the red marks still present on his skin. Dr. Ikagi said that the scaring would be minimal, and that he was ready to leave any time. Misato said that she would be by later to drop him off at his house. He felt like crap, and couldn't stop thinking of Asuka. Her beautiful blue eyes, her radiant red hair, her dazzlingly delightful smile…

The way she had leaned on his shoulder in the movie theater, the warmth her hand gave him when he held it…

"Every little thing she does…" Shinji murmured softly, not even realizing until he said it. Asuka had dominated his senses, even though she wasn't there. He felt so sorry about hitting her. Not about the reason, but about…

He felt sorry because he had caused her pain. He never wanted to hurt her. He wanted to make her laugh… He wanted to make her happy… He wanted… He wanted to be with her… Always…

But his father had forbidden it. He wanted to tell his father to let him move back into Misato's apartment…

But he didn't have the strength… He knew that if he told his father he wanted to live there again, his father would let him…

But he didn't have the will…

Asuka had taken his will to live from him. Only her smile could bring it back…

Shinji missed the times when Asuka had been teasing him. Missed the look of absolute triumph when she had defeated an angel… Missed the small smile that she got on her face when he actually did something that she thought was right…

Shinji lay on the bed, gazing at the world around him with loneliness.

***

"Hey, Drac, did you hear about that costume party that's going on Sunday? I think that we should go together! What about you?" Rei offered as they walked to her house.

"I… Can't Rei… It's… Religious reasons." Drac evasively. Rei persisted.

"But the church was destroyed in the Eva attack! Besides! You can play all you want on the Sabath! You're just not supposed to work!" Rei pouted sadly.

"I'm… Busy." Drac said, trying to dodge the subject. Rei fumed.

"You're not supposed to work on the Sabath, remember? Out with it! Why don't you want to go with me? Don't you like me anymore?" Rei pouted. Drac panicked.

"No! It's not that, Rei…! I just… Have other plans, that's all!" Drac said reassuring her.

"Who are you going to the party with, Drac?" Rei said, perfectly calm. Drac jumped.

"What makes you think I'm going to the party with someone else?" Drac sweated.

"Drac?"

"Yes?"

"Who are you going to the party with?"

"I… Er… Ah…" Drac let his head fall in defeat. "Kanashimi Yumi…" Rei immediately ran to her house, and slammed the door closed. "Rei, Wait! Please open up! It's not what you think!"

"If you go with that girl, then I'm going with Shinji!" Rei screamed.

"But Rei—!" Drac shouted, but Rei interrupted.

"Hello, Shinji? It's me, Rei. I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party with me Sunday Night. No, not anymore. DRAC JUST DUMPED ME! What do you mean? I said that in a perfectly normal volume of voice. I'll see you at 6:00 PM, then? Okay! Bye, Shinji-kun!" Rei hung up the phone.

Drac sighed and headed home, but not without realizing how absolutely disgusting it was for Shinji to go out with Rei…

Not like Shinji read the reports on that or anything…

***

"Hey, Drac! What's up?" Yumi greeted cheerfully.

"I sort of got in a fight with my girlfriend about the party…" Drac said quietly.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, Drac! Maybe you should be going with your girlfriend…!" Yumi said, upset.

"No, now she has a date with my roommate…" Drac said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I screwed your love life up, didn't I…?" Yumi said quietly.

"We'll make up. I haven't seen you in years, Yumi. I don't think Rei will mind once she finds out that we're just friends." Drac said, depressed.

"So… Who are you going as, Drac? The theme is Anime of the 1900's! Are you going to dress up as Quatre?" Yumi asked childishly.

"Actually, I was thinking of going as Alex from Lunar. What do you think?" Drac asked, cheering up slightly.

"Hey! That's a video game! Not a TV show!" Yumi pouted.

"But it's drawn in an Anime style! It even has Anime sequences in it! That makes it free for grabs!" Drac pointed out.

"Argh! Then I would have picked Selphie! I didn't know we could pick from games! I have my Sailor Jupiter Fuku all laid out, too! I'd better get my Selphie costume out now!" Yumi said happily.

"I'm sorry, Yumi, but you couldn't pull Sailor Jupiter off. You just don't have the TALENT." Drac said in mockery.

"Hey! That's mean! I have more TALENT than Rei!!" Yumi fumed. 

"No, you don't…" Drac said before quickly hanging up the phone. He would know. He had spent many hours staring at Rei's bosom.

***

Asuka couldn't decide what costume to wear for the party on Sunday. At first, she thought she might go as Aeris Gainsborough, but then decided that she was too sweet for Asuka's taste. Then she thought she might go as Akane Tendo, but then she'd have to push her hair under a wig…

She almost stole Misato's jacket and went as Lucia from Lunar 2, but she realized that she didn't have any leather boots. 

'Maybe I should go as Relena Peacecraft…' Asuka imagined herself in one of Relena's dresses. 'No, she has bad taste in clothes…'

Then she thought she might go as the main character of Dragon Half, but she couldn't remember her name. She finally gave up and decided to go as Anne in the Doom Tree Saga of Sailor Moon. Not the most exciting costume, but a good one none the less…

'Picking out a costume is a lot harder than I thought…' Asuka thought before getting her stuff ready.

***

Shinji had just gotten home, and had already been forced into going to a stupid party, to which he didn't want to go. Shinji was very depressed at that moment.

Shinji bought a bottle of gel and a fake ponytail at a hair place, then went home. He'd just go as Wu Fei. Maybe people would leave him alone then. Shinji laid back and thought about how utterly despondent he was. No one had asked him to open up a door for him or pick up a piece of paper yet, but he assumed that it was coming.****

(****Think Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy… Think Marvin…)

Shinji heard a kick at the front door. Shinji opened it, and found Drac standing on the stoop with a whole bunch of costume supplies. Drac dropped his receipt. "Hey, Shinji…" Slam!

***

Rei had been planing ahead for this party. She had picked out her costume and was going to make Drac pick a matching one, but now, Drac wasn't coming. The way Shinji was feeling as of late, he would probably pick someone depressing like Wu Fei.

Their costumes would contrast, but it didn't really matter. Now she was just going to piss Drac off. There was really no other reason. Rei wanted to go to the party with Drac, spend the whole party with Drac, go somewhere after the party to be alone with Drac…

But Drac had found someone else. It hurt Rei that Drac would do such a thing. Rei knew there had to be a logical explanation for this, Drac would never dump her, but she was upset because he didn't consult with her first. It wouldn't have been a problem before they had become boyfriend and girlfriend, but now, Rei owned him.

He couldn't go off and do things alone like he was doing now. She and Drac were a couple now, and he had to respect her. Respect her feelings. Respect… Their love for each other.

They hadn't really gotten that far in the relationship, but Rei knew it was love. They just hadn't confessed it to each other yet. She was going to do it at the party, but…

"Oh, well," Rei said choking back her tears. "Tomorrow is another day…"

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

If you've never played the Lunar series, I pity you. Of course, if you have enough time to play every game recommended to you, I will quote Nall on this one.

"How can you have a life's work if you don't have a life?"

Emergency Broadcast System Report: There is a WAFF warning in effect for the following Chapter. It is advised that you take shelter in a basement, a bathroom, or a room with no windows.

Chapter 7

"Yes, Mr. Harper. Right away Mr. Harper. Anything you say, Mr. Harper. Would you like another Cocktail, Mr. Harper?" Drew said under his breath, full of annoyance. "I'd like just for once to get him alone with me and a lead pipe! Grrrrr…." Drew carried the cocktail trays to the kitchen so that they could be washed and readied for the party.

"Always Mr. High and Mighty! Always wants to throw a party! Ugh!" Drew put the trays down loudly and headed upstairs to wait on Mr. Harper. David Harper was an ex-football player turned businessman. Making it to the NFL at the age of twenty, Harper did poorly in the league and was forced to retire after one year. He invested all the money on a small computer programming business called LBS Inc., and the business grew like Microsoft. He sold his stocks just as the business peaked, and made billions.

He and the founder of the company, Brian Kibby, had then achieved this crazy notion. They would go to every major city in the world and throw a party. This was what pissed Drew off the most. Drew was in high school with Harper, and had said that he wouldn't amount to anything. Now, he was the man's butler. 

'Oh the IRONY!' Drew laughed bitterly. Harper probably knew how Drew felt about him, and kept him around for that reason. To rub it in his face every chance he got. Then drew realized that he was overestimating Harper's intelligence. He barely passed high school.

Drew shook his head and headed up the many staircases to Mr. Harper's room.

***

Asuka dug through the many boxes of clothes to search for her Anne costume, but couldn't find it.

Asuka had went to the moving party when it was in America, and again when it was in Germany. She had worn that same costume. And yet, She couldn't find it. So she through something together, it looked really crappy, to make an Elly costume.

Asuka really didn't like the Elly character from Xenogears, for she felt Elly was the stereotypical weak woman always needing the help of the big strong man and mooning over him when she didn't.

'But that's the way the cookie crumbles,' Asuka rifled through her clothes pile and pulled out her boots. Allen would be here in an hour and she still hadn't taken a shower yet.

***

Shinji laid on his bed, not wanting to move. Moving would require effort. Shinji had been trying to get himself into a Wu Fei mood for the past 2 hours. He just couldn't imagine any woman that fit Wu Fei's perspective of them. DEFINITELY not Asuka.

"Hey, Shinji! What's up?" Drac said cheerfully. He looked at Shinji's outfit. "Nice Fei costume!" Drac gave him a thumbs up. Shinji gave him a different finger up, causing Drac to shudder.

Being Wu Fei wouldn't be as hard as he thought.

"Um… You really should start out for Rei's place, Shinji… It's getting late." Drac said cautiously.

"Why would you care? Aren't you afraid I'll steal your girlfriend away?" Drac shook his head. "What you don't think I can?" Shinji challenged, very Wu Fei-like.

"No, it's not that." Drac said.

"Then what is it?"

"I trust you not to. You're my friend, and I trust you not to put the moves on my girlfriend." Drac said solemnly, completely shocking Shinji. Shinji knew they were friends, but he didn't know that Drac trusted him that much. "Anyway, we really should get going. It'll be 7:00 before you know it." Drac said, trying to cheer up more.

Shinji stood up and followed Drac out the door. Shinji realized something, and let out a long sigh.

It was going to be VERY hard to act like Wu Fei now…

***

Asuka walked right past Misato, and answered the door. Behind it, Allen stood with a cowboy hat and boots, a long trench coat, and a pair of blue jeans. He had tied his long blonde hair into a pony tail, and was carrying a large double barrel gun. It was obvious which anime character HE was dressed as.

"Howdy, Miss. I must say you're lookin' mighty fine today." Allen said in a poor country twang. Asuka giggled and took his extended arm.

"Just stick to your normal voice. The country accent isn't you. You're just so terrible at it!" Asuka teased. Allen laughed, and closed the door behind him.

Misato sat, string at the unopened can of beer in front of her. Shinji had always talked about wanting to run away. He always tried to get away, but his responsibility to the world kept him from doing so for any long period of time. He would come back, no matter what.

Misato sneered at the can in front of her, and knocked it off the table sending it into the wall. On impact, it sprayed it's contents on the floor and the walls. Misato didn't care.

Misato had been running away too. The alchohol was her escape. She escaped from reality by drinking herself so stupid, she couldn't see reality anymore. After Kaji's death, she had gotten worse. She really didn't believe the disk given to her. Kaji had died, and now Shinji had left. Asuka wouldn't talk to her anymore either.

Misato was alone.

Pen Pen came out of his cooler and, upon seeing Misato's dismal atmosphere, touched her leg reassuringly. Misato picked Pen Pen up and ruffled the feathers on his head for a bit, then put him down again. 'Well, at least I have Pen Pen…'

A stray tear ran down her cheek, and was caught by a tender touch. She turned around to see a man in a cloak, his face obscured save for a large unmistakable grin. Misato threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest, now tears of joy.

"I… I couldn't believe it… I wanted to, but… And now you're here… Oh god! I missed you Kaji!" Misato said between gasps of air and laughter. Kaji smiled and said nothing. Instead, he kissed her on the forehead and held her close. Misato knew that he was probably here for a reason, but she didn't care.

He was here.

He was here with her.

***

"Knock, knock!" Drac said before entering Yumi's house. 'I've never knocked when entering Yumi's house before, so why start now?' They hadn't moved in that whole time…

A familiar woman looked up to see a stranger enter the house. She looked closer at this person, and gasped. "Drac?"

"Hey, Cara! Long time no see!" Drac asked, recognizing her as Yumi's older sister. Cara ran up to Drac and gave him a big hug.

"It's been so long! Where have you been all these years?" Cara asked cheerfully. Drac was the only one who had survived Yumi's family trial, and they had all loved him for it. Drac felt like a member of the family whenever he came to see them.

"I've been… Away." Drac said reluctantly. Cara understood this, and changed the subject.

"So, I hear you an Yumi are going to a party tonight? You be sure to watch out for my little sister, okay? Make sure she doesn't meet any scary men!" Cara said concerned. Cara had never accused Drac or Yumi of being more than friends, she knew how Drac felt about Yumi. It would be like making out with your sister.

"Don't worry! I will!" Drac said with the childish smile he usually displayed around Cara. Cara smiled, and hurried him up the stairs to Yumi's room. They hadn't moved the rooms around in all this time either…

"Hey, Drac!" Yumi said, finishing up with her hair curling. As she had said over the phone, she was dressed in a yellow Selphie costume. "I'm ready to go! Let's book it! The party starts in 45 minutes!" Yumi said, grabbing her purse and Drac's hand, dragging him out the door.

***

Rei heard a loud thump at the door, reminiscent of the sound that is made when a cow dies while standing up. Rei bounced to the door cheerfully and swung it open with pep. On the other side stood Shinji, with either a very bad Wu Fei costume, or a very good Fei costume. Rei decided to find out.

"Hello, Shinji-kun! What's up?" Rei said happily. Shinji stood there glaring at Rei very Wu Fei-like. "Uh, huh… Um… Right. Let's go…" Rei stepped out the door and headed in the direction of the party. Shinji followed her as though he were stalking up behind her, and was about to slit her throat. This unnerved Rei greatly.

Rei stayed in the light as much as possible for fear that he might do just that…

***

"Well, if isn't my first groupie! You haven't been to any of the more recent parties, Asuka. I was getting worried." Harper called out to Asuka in English.

"Harper! How ya doing?" Asuka said, leaping at him and giving him a big hug. "I was at all your other parties out of coincidences, and you know it! I'm generally not the one to travel…" Asuka began.

"Yeah, yeah! I know! So, who's your friend here?" Harper nudged Asuka lightly. Asuka laughed and introduced him.

"This is Tashiama Allen, and my date for this evening! I'm not sure if he knows English, though…" Asuka said.

"Actually, Asuka I am perfectly versed in Latin, Greek, German, English, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Slavic. I've been working on Indian, but I just can't get the hang of it." Allen smiled diabolically, something he was relatively good at.

"Really? I didn't know you knew so many languages! When did you have the time?" Asuka asked.

"I don't remember when I learned them, sorry. I've known them ever since I was ten! I hit my head, you see. Amnesia. Don't even remember my birth mother…" Allen trailed off.

"You don't? Who raised you, Allen?" Asuka asked concernedly. Harper, noticing that he was out of the conversation, slowly inched himself away.

"I was raised by Brian and Carie Thomas. They're… Dead now…" Allen said, dropping his head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Allen! We should be talking someplace more private! Come on! Harper always has private rooms for couples, don't you, Harper? Harper?" Asuka hadn't noticed Harper's disappearance. "Ah, well! Let's go talk!" Asuka dragged Allen off by the wrist.

***

"Hey, Drac! Look how many people are here! This party must be big time stuff!" Yumi said, running through the crowd, Drac barely keeping up.

"Hey, Yumi! Slow down! It's too crowded in here to run!" Drac said, taking an elbow in the head.

"OOPS! Sorry, Drac! Didn't see you there!" Rei said in a rather insincere manor. Shinji followed behind slowly, a bitter look on his face.

"Hi, Rei! What's up?" Drac said, standing up and rubbing the side of his head.

"Oh, Drac! Is this your girlfriend?" Yumi said excitedly. "Hi! I'm Kanashimi Yumi! I'm Drac's best friend! Nice to meet you!" Yumi shook Rei's hand energetically. Yumi looked at the desert table. "THEY'VE GOT CHOCOLATE PIE!" Yumi ran off after the desert with ravenous passion.

"Best friend? You mean… Oh, I feel like an idiot…" Rei sat down and covered her face with her hand. "I'm sorry, Drac…"

"No, It's okay. I should have talked with you about it first. It's my fault." Drac said putting a hand on Rei's shoulder. Rei smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Shinji, Could you talk to Yumi for a while? I need to talk with Drac…" Rei asked nervously.

"Sure. And while I'm at it, I'll wash my head in the punch bowl.*" Shinji walked to the desert table after Yumi.

(I LOVE Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy! Shinji'll stop acting like Marvin after this chapter, though.)

"What's his problem, anyway?" Drac asked.

"He's in character." Rei said.

"I don't ever recall Fei being that nasty." Drac evaluated.

"He's not Fei. He's WU Fei. Big difference." Rei corrected.

"In that case, he did a pretty bad job on his costume. Everyone's going to think he's a Xenogears character." Drac expressed hi sympathy for Shinji.

"All battle mecha series are the same anyway." Rei shrugged.

"Sez U." Drac said, rolling his eyes.

"And my word is law." Rei said, nose in the air.

"Whatever." Drac said, staring at his Orange Chinchilla Fur Cap, which he had taken off his head.

"Now you sound like a Final Fantasy character." Rei smirked. Drac laughed, and noticed her costume.

"I didn't know that you were dressing up as Luna." Drac said, a smile spreading on his face.

"Hey! You dressed up as Alex…" Rei said, noticing the hat in his hands. They both looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

"We picked matching outfits without even thinking about it." Drac said, replacing his cap.

"I guess so…" Rei said. Rei reached for Drac's hand, and they walked off, oblivious of the rest of the party.

***

"Yes. Everything is going great. The party's lively and the guests are ready to dance. Irvine might be a problem, but I'm guessing Fei won't stand for it. The Lunar Cocktail has been taken out back, and Selphie is ready to take action. The party crashers are hysterical. They can't stop it now. 

"Also, I'd like it if you'd have the ladies waiting out back for me. I don't wasn't to be all on my lonesome here. Fei might be in for it afterwards, but the party crashers don't see his involvement. Anyway, thanks, Greg. I'll get you the shrimp you wanted, and meet you at the farm. Bye." Drew hung up the phone, and shook his head.

'I sure hope Greg knows what he's doing…' Drew lit a cigarette and watched as Rei led Drac to a bench in the middle of the backyard. Drew smiled. 'Everything's going according to plan, Drac. You can just relax for the rest of the evening. I, on the other hand, have drinks to serve.'

Drew reentered the house and began to serve drinks again, keeping everyone oblivious to the gun in his pocket.

***

"Hey, Shinji! Where'd Drac and Rei go?" Yumi asked with half a chocolate pie in her hands, the other half in her stomach. Shinji shrugged in an indifferent fashion. Yumi sighed. "Are you going to be like this the whole party?" Shinji shrugged again, looking at a chandelier.

"So, you think everything's doing okay?" Shinji asked staring at an inviting cheesecake.

"You know Greg. He doesn't make mistakes. He's quite a lot like Brian was." Yumi said mournfully, taking a glass of punch.

"Actually, I've never met the man. Either of them. I'm in this solely to make my father pay."

"I see. The Organization doesn't give us a clue as to how big it is, so that way, we don't have to worry when one of us gets caught. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who has joined without meeting the founders. You know taking out Gendo is only a side agenda, right?" Yumi said, taking another bite of her pie.

"I assumed as such. We're only on a need to know basis. All I need to know about right now is the plans to take my father down." Shinji took a piece of the alluring cheesecake, and took a small bite.

"How much do you know, anyway?" Yumi asked curiously.

"How much do you?" Shinji countered.

"More than you do." Yumi said before chasing after a tasty looking tray of foods being carried away by a waiter. Shinji headed up to the second level to think a bit. He gazed into several of the empty rooms, hoping to find a bathroom.

He didn't expect to find what he found. Allen sat next to Asuka, his lips pressed to hers.

***

"So, do continue with your life story, please!" Asuka said cheerfully. Allen sat down and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Where do you want me to start?" Allen shook his head. "I find it so depressing, looking into the past. Especially when I have a present as beautiful as this right before me." Allen said, and gave Asuka a wink. Asuka laughed a bit and slid closer to him.

"Actually, I agree with you. Everything seems to be going great as of late…" Asuka whispered.

"You know, Asuka, you still owe me that kiss." Allen said with a sinister smile.

"Yes, I do, don't I?" Asuka smiled as well. Allen leaned slowly forward, and Asuka closed her eyes in wait. Allen wrapped an arm around her waist, and took action.

The kiss was excellent. Had Asuka known how good of a kisser Allen was, she would have done it a lot sooner. She had no idea how Allen could use his tongue so well…

Asuka felt a hand run down her thigh, breaking her revelry.

"Allen, I don't think…" Asuka said, breaking the kiss and sliding away. Allen pulled Asuka back to him and continued it with renewed fury, grabbing Asuka's wrists with one hand, running his hand across her butt with the other. Asuka squirmed, but Allen wouldn't let go.

"I said, NO!" Askua screamed at the top of her lungs, but it didn't phase him.

What did phase him was the fist of Shinji Ikari connecting with his temple. Shinji picked him up by the throat, and pinned him up against the wall.

"Shinji…" Asuka whispered, relieved that Allen had been stopped, and extremely happy to see Shinji.

"If you EVER touch her again, I WILL KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Shinji exploded with rage. Asuka had never seen Shinji like this. This was worse than the time when he had hit her. A lot worse. When Allen didn't respond right away, Shinji slapped him as hard as he could with the side of his hand. "DO YOU HEAR ME!?!"

"Yes…" Allen said weakly. Shinji through him on the ground roughly, and went to Asuka's side.

"Are you alright, Asuka?" Shinji asked, a look of fear on his face. Not of fear from Allen. Not of fear from what Asuka might do to him for interrupting her. Fear from worry. Worrying about Asuka. He was afraid that Allen might have hurt her. Asuka felt tears come to her eyes, and, for the second time in her life, she didn't fight them.

"Yes…" Asuka said, looking down at the floor on which she was sitting. Not being able to restrain herself, Asuka through her arms around Shinji's neck, and wept into his chest. "Shinji, you Baka…"

***

Yumi went to the second floor to find Shinji. On her way, she met up with a boy dressed as Irvine. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, did you see a boy dressed as Fei come by here?"

"Yup. He just stole my date. Shinji's not usually like that…" Allen said in an impatient tone.

"Shinji? Hm… Who would have figured? Well, since Shinji took your date, and Rei took mine, let me be YOUR date! It'll even things out!" Yumi said enthused.

"Don't follow." Drac said, looking at her blankly. Yumi's eye gleamed slightly.

"Here's how it works. Shinji went out with Rei, I went out with Drac, and you went out with…" Yumi paused.

"Asuka."

"Right. You went out with Asuka. Since Drac switched to Rei, and Shinji switched to Asuka, it's an emotional game of Musical chairs. If you switch to me, it'll be even!" Yumi said with a peppy smile.

Allen shook his head.

"Oh, come on! Our costumes even match!" Yumi said pathetically. Allen sighed and gave up.

"Sure. Why not? You have a very good argument, by the way." Allen said, offering her his arm. She took it and giggled gleefully. Yumi and Allen headed down stairs until she spotted the desert table again.

***

"Drac…" Rei said quietly. Rei had set her head in his lap, and he had been stroking her hair gently for the past hour or so.

"Yes, Rei?" Drac asked softly. His voice was pure heaven.

"What time is it?" Rei asked, not lifting her head.

"About Midnight." Drac whispered into her ear. "Is this when Cinderella runs from the ball?" Drac asked compassionately.

"We have school tomorrow. It's going to be hell waking up…" Rei said as though she were going to leave, but didn't move an inch. She was reluctant to move from the position she was in.

"Then you go to sleep. Stay here and go to sleep." Drac whispered comfortingly. Rei was happy to comply…

***

"Shinji, you know about the restraining order, right?" Asuka asked guiltily. Asuka hadn't asked for it, and yet she felt like it was her fault.

"I don't care. I can't… I can't stand being away from you, Asuka…" Shinji said, a tear falling from his eye.

"Oh, Shinji! I… I… I'm… I'm sorry for teasing you so much…" Asuka said as though she were pulling her own hair out by the roots. She was very stubborn, and hated taking back anything she had done. But she really was sorry about that night. She regretted ever telling Shinji that she hated him.

She wanted nothing more than to be Shinji's girlfriend.

"Asuka… You don't have to apologize. It was my fault…" Shinji began, but Asuka interrupted him.

"No! It was MY fault! I said things that I didn't mean! Shinji, I don't hate you! I love—" Asuka stopped dead cold in what she was saying. 'Weak, spineless Ikari Shinji? Am I in love with him? What am I saying? How can I…' Cried Asuka's logical mind. But her heart declared otherwise. Shinji had stood up for her when Allen was taking advantage of her. 'But Shinji's a coward!' But Shinji stood for her when she needed it. And Asuka knew that he would do it again if needed. 

And again. And Again.

"Shinji, I love you…" Asuka said, pulling closer to him and crying even deeper. Shinji's visage was one of shock and surprise. That quickly changed to pure joy, and love. For Asuka had finally placed that feeling. That feeling she felt when Shinji stood up against something with all his might. When he had reached into that volcano to save her, She had felt this feeling, and now she knew this feeling.

She loved Shinji Ikari.

More than anything else on this earth.

"I love you too, Asuka…" Shinji said in a tight voice. Shinji was crying too, and Asuka knew why. Shinji had loved her for a long time. Asuka knew it wasn't love at first sight, but she thought that it might have started with the sync training they had went through together. She really didn't care when it started, but she knew that Shinji felt that this was a dream come true.

Asuka felt the feeling as mutual.

Asuka pulled Shinji's lips to hers as she kissed him with reckless abandon. It felt much better than the kiss they had shared in the hallway that night when she was holding his nose. Shinji wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as possible.

She would have gladly given herself to HIM that night, but Shinji didn't take her. He held her in his arms for what seemed like ages. Asuka felt there was nothing as definite and real in this world than the love they felt for one another.

The world seemed to pause for those centuries, solely to give respect to the force of love more powerful than anything that had existed on the planet prior. When finally Asuka was pulled back to reality, she was worried beyond worry.

"Shinji, you realize that you're going to jail now, right?" Asuka asked sadly. Shinji nodded.

"There's nothing we can do about that now. I was in trouble the moment I entered the party. I somehow knew that you were going to be here. That was the only reason I came, I think… To see you…"

"Shinji… Thank you…" Asuka said sadly. Shinji lightly lifted her chin, and smiled.

"Cheer up! They can't keep me in there for that long! I'm an Eva Pilot remember?" Shinji stroked her cheek tenderly, rubbing away the tears. "We can spend this time together, at least. And then there's always school…" Shinji gazed into her eyes, and Asuka gazed back into his. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, taking comfort in the safest place she would ever be…

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Warning: Really sad chapter. Please don't hate me!

Sorry about the erratic postings of the Chapters. I try to pop them out at least one a week, but sometimes, I don't get a Chapter in… I usually put new chapters up on Friday or Saturday, BTW!

Chapter 8

Drac stared up at the stars in the sky, as he always did on nights with a New Moon. The stars tended to shine their brightest on those days, and everything seemed to go his way. Today was no exception. He was sitting on a bench, on a beautiful, starlit night, with Rei.

"Rei?" Drac asked in a whisper.

"Hmm…?" Rei responded.

"Have you ever looked up on the stars on a night like this? When the stars are shining an everything seems perfect?" Drac asked quietly.

"Mmm, Hmm…" Rei said, not opening her eyes.

"Rei, I want to tell you something. Something that I've been wanting to tell you for a long time…" Drac paused, and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this kind of relationship with Rei, but he knew that it was what he wanted. He wanted to be as close to Rei as possible before…

"Rei, I… I love you, Rei…" Drac said, whispering in her ear. When Rei didn't even move, Drac became concerned. "Rei?"

Rei began to emit a quiet snoring noise. Drac sweat dropped.

'Oh, well… Another day, perhaps…' Drac leaned back on his bench and drifted off to sleep.

***

"I believe that the party crashers are more desperate than we thought, Greg. They're going to spike the punch, and there's nothing I can do about it. Maybe you should send in the dancing girls early… But sir, they are organizing around back, and are about to disturb the Moonlight Cocktail. It's…" Drew sneaked out back, and hid behind a bush.

"Damn it, Greg! We can't afford to lose Drac at this point! I don't care if this isn't a secured line! Brad's boys are about to bust up the place, and you're sitting there, twiddling your thumbs! All I have is a pistol, and you're sending me up against 5 men with semiautomatics! This is on your head, Greg, not mine!" Drew turned off his cell phone and took out his gun.

Things were about to get bloody…

***

Rei awoke from her slumber to the sound of a gunshot. She jerked her head up, and was immediately thrown of the bench and onto the ground by Drac. She felt his body spasm several times in the time when the bullets were flying, and was horrified when a dark red liquid oozed onto her face.

Rei's eyes widened in fear, and her body became petrified. As her tears flowed, the sea of bullets lessened, and stopped all together, leaving nothing but Drac and Rei, on a bloodstained patio.

Rei rolled Drac onto his back, and began to shake him. "Drac! Wake up! Please wake up! Don't die on me! You can't…!" Rei's voice weakened as her voice cracked, and she grew silent. "I'll get an ambulance, Drac! Don't worry! You'll be fine!" Rei ran into the party, and picked up the phone. Most of the people had left the party screaming during the crossfire.

She returned to the patio to comfort Drac, and to hold his hand.

Drac's body was missing.

There was nothing but a pool of blood flowing into the fountain, and staining it red.

***

"Shinji, what's that?" Asuka asked quietly. Shinji listened and heard what she was talking about.

"It's… Gun shots! What the hell?" Shinji looked out the window, and saw five men shooting across the courtyard with one man at the other end. In the middle was Drac, sprawled over something on the ground. "My GOD! DRAC!" 

Shinji burst out of the room, and headed down the stairs, hoping to god that Drac was alright. By the time he made it down the stairs, everyone was gone, excluding Rei, who was pounding on a pile of blood on the brick walkway.

"Drac!" Rei cried repeatedly, not even looking up at Shinji when he called to her. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she leapt into his arms. "They took his body! They couldn't leave him alone! They killed him, and took his body!"

Asuka ran onto the patio and looked at the situation before her. Asuka came up beside Rei, and put a hand on her back with reassurance. Something very un-Asuka like.

A man came out from behind a bush, a few bullets piercing his abdomen. Asuka reared back, and Shinji ran forward to check on him. Shinji remembered him as Drew Resit, a member of The Organization, and a person he had been assigned with for the mission.

"Are you alright, Drew?" Shinji asked concerned.

"I'm a goner. Don't worry about Drac. Brad wouldn't let Fuja die that easily… He worked too hard on that…" Drew cringed in pain. "Unless he dies before they can get him to their medical center…"

"If reinforcements get him in time, then you'll know… We'll contact you…" Drew said. Drew handed him a cell phone. "Speed dial #2. That's Greg… Report for me, will ya?" Drew smiled, then fell backwards in death. Shinji closed the man's eyes, and went to Asuka and Rei.

Rei had since moved to crying on Asuka's shoulder, and Asuka didn't look like she was trying to push her away. 'Maybe Asuka understands how it feels to lose a loved one…' Shinji thought.

"Come on. Let's go." Shinji said, helping them both off the ground. Shinji examined the phone given to him by Drew. Greg's number was only speed dial #2. Speed dial #1 was labeled Cara. Shinji didn't know who this was, but he figured that he'd have to call this person himself, for the Organization wouldn't bother.

***

Asuka had taken Rei home and put her in her bed. Shinji had asked for Asuka to stay with Rei and make sure that she was alright. Shinji was always thinking about other people…

Asuka had called Misato, but she wasn't home, so she left a message telling her where she was. Asuka had set up a sleeping bag by Rei's bed, and slipped inside. Asuka found herself feeling sorry for Rei. Rei had just lost the person that she cared most about. Rei wasn't taking it too well.

Rei was curled up in her bed. After Shinji had left, Asuka had to bathe Rei herself, for Rei was completely closed off. She had dressed Rei, put her to bed, and now she was sitting at the foot of her bed, waiting for Rei to actually acknowledge the world around her again.

The things Asuka did for Shinji. She really was worried about Rei, though, as much as she didn't like to admit it. Asuka knew loss. She knew loss well…

Now Rei knew loss as well. 

'Maybe we're more alike now…'

Lately, Asuka had been learning not to suppress that voice inside her. That was the voice that said she loved Shinji. Now this voice said that she should reach out to Wonder Girl…

If the voice was right about one thing, it could be right about another. That was the real reason that Asuka decided to stay and watch Rei. She didn't do it for Shinji. She did it for herself.

Rei shivered silently, which caused Asuka to look up. She got up, and draped another blanket over Rei before lying back down. Asuka wanted to be near Shinji so badly, and yet he had left to be somewhere. Asuka had no idea where, but she was glad of that. Now she could say, with all honesty, that she didn't know where Shinji was. That way, Shinji wouldn't have to go to jail right away…

Asuka would work at it. She would tell the Commander that She didn't want the restraining order. That she wanted to see Shinji, and that she missed him. Then, Shinji wouldn't go to jail, and he would be able to move back in with Misato and she.

Asuka's thoughts were disturbed by a whimper emitted from Rei. She had begun to silently cry again, and yet her eyes were still as clear as glass. Asuka rubbed Rei's shoulder softly, and gave Rei a smile. Rei appeared to look up at Asuka, then looked into space again.

Asuka sighed, and lied down for the third time, this time drifting off to sleep.

'Good Night, Shinji-kun…'

***

"Well, Greg, I hope you have a good explanation for all this. You didn't tell me about this, you didn't tell Drac about this, and I'm betting you didn't even tell Drew. Were you expecting for NONE of us to come back alive? Well, you failed. I'm still kicking." Shinji cried into the phone.

"And you are?" Greg answered calmly.

"Ikari Shinji! You'd think you'd know the names of the operatives that you send out on a mission!" Shinji scolded.

"Obviously, since you are calling me, something has happened to both Drew and Drac, yes?" Greg asked.

"They are dead." Shinji said, depressed.

"You've seen the bodies?" Greg asked.

"Drew's, yes. Drac's, no. There was sufficient blood on the scene to confirm his death." Shinji said, coming very close to a monotone.

"Then Drac isn't dead. Fuja doesn't die that easily. Fuja wouldn't let Drac die." Greg said absently.

"Who is Fuja, anyway?" Shinji asked. "Drew mentioned something about it too, before he died."

"It's all on Drac's computer. Go ahead and look. If you can find out the password." Greg laughed. "I'll give you two guesses, but you'll only need one."

"Rei."

"Very good…" Greg trailed off. "Shinji, if you want to back out of this, I will understand. You can leave now, without any repercussions. But the moment you read those files, you are deadlocked into the path that we choose for you. There will be no turning back."

"I'm no coward. Not anymore. I will do this." Shinji said, a determined look on his face.

"Kaji was wrong about you. He said that you were weak-hearted, but good-hearted. Either he was completely wrong, or you've changed completely."

"I've changed. There's nothing for me to run away from anymore."

"You'll have Drac's job. By the way, I understand the little bit about the restraining order out on you an Asuka…"

"You mean it's out on both of us?" Shinji said, startled.

"Yes. If you two come within fifty feet of each other, you both go to jail. That's what the document said. A week of solitary confinement a piece, and not allowed out for anything but Eva piloting."

"I just assumed that, since I hit her…" Shinji stammered.

"That's your problem, Shinji. You don't read the fine print. Take a certain newspaper, for instance. I was almost killed on the same night that Brian was. I was not expected to live the night. That is what a certain newspaper said. Brad's boys were new to the business back then, so they assumed that I was going to die. They didn't finish the job.

"I'm going to make them pay dearly for that. They WILL pay. They will wish they had finished the job. That is why you read the fine print, Shinji." Greg stopped his speech and waited for the effect to settle in.

"So, Brian's alright, then."

"I never said that."

"Yes you did. You said, 'I was almost killed on the same night that Brian was.' If Brian had died, you would have said, 'I was almost killed on the same night that Brian died.'" Shinji smiled slightly.

"Very good, Shinji. Looks like you'll not be as bad as I thought you would be… Kaji will be over to talk to you before you get jailed. That won't happen 'til morning, so enjoy your last hours of freedom…" Greg hung up the phone, leaving Shinji to ponder the event that had occurred.

'His password is Rei, huh?' Shinji moved to Drac's computer, an interested look on his face.

***

"He died to save me! He threw himself on top of me and took the bullets! They were meant for me! And he saved me…" Rei cried into the abyss in which she floated. The abyss wasn't an abyss in it's truest form, for there was liquid there, and she was floating in it. She floated around aimlessly, sometimes spotting a bubble float to the surface.

"It's my fault he died… He'd be alive right now if it weren't for me…" Rei murmured.

"You know that's not true. They were after the pilots. Not just you." A man floated past her slowly. "He still would have went to the party, and he still would have been shot."

"But… He died protecting me…" Rei said quietly.

"He would have died anyway, had you not been there. Draw strength from his sacrifice instead of sadness from his loss." The man said. "What happened there was destined by God, and could not be avoided. All creatures have a path that they must follow. God has set their destiny. Depending on your actions, Drac's may not be."

"Who are you?" Rei asked wondrously.

"Call me Bren. The little white mouse in the ceiling." Bren smiled, hoping that Rei would understand. She did.

"You mean…"

"Don't get me wrong. Drac was still loony, it's just that not all the voices in his head were fake." Bren said with correction.

"I don't understand…"

"And you shouldn't. To understand something is to know something to be true. Nothing is certain in that world, and very seldom is anything true."

"My love for Drac was true." Rei said coldly.

"But you didn't understand it. Anything that is true, you will never be able to understand. The inverse, therefore, is also true."

"But you said that nothing was true…"

"In that world, Ms. Ayanami."

"I don't…" Rei stopped mid sentence and sighed. The man merely smiled, nodded and looked as though he was moving on his way. He pushed Rei lightly, sending her in a direction of darkness…

Rei sat up in her bed slowly, and looked around. She was in her bed and in her pajamas. Rei absently wondered who had put them on her and who, upon looking at her hands, had washed her up. She looked at the foot of her bed, and saw something odd.

Asuka had curled up at the foot of the bed in a sleeping bag. Rei smiled slightly, wondering how much convincing on Shinji's part it took. Rei quietly slid out of bed so as not to disturb Asuka, and tiptoed her way into the kitchen.

Rei opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of pop, drinking it in one gulp. There was a pizza box in the fridge, most likely placed there by Asuka, so Rei opened it and took a few slices.

{Nothing like a glass of Vernors and Cold Pizza for a midnight snack…}

{Never tried Vernors? I hear it's a Michigan thing…}

Rei was trying her hardest not to let Drac's death back into her mind, to no avail. Rei sat at the table, put her head down, and cried silently. She missed Drac. She missed him so much, it hurt.

***

Asuka awoke to the sound of a quiet sniffing in the kitchen. Usually, Asuka cold sleep through an Angel attack, but a little sniffle from a hurt girl had awakened her. 'Some things are louder than could ever be spoken.'

Asuka pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and headed to the kitchen. Asuka walked silently to Rei's side, and put a hand on her shoulder. Rei looked up slowly, and smiled slightly.

"Hey." Asuka said with a small smile on her face. "You wanna talk about it?"

Rei's first response was surprise, and then slight happiness.

"Yeah…" Rei said, trying to push back her tears. Asuka pulled up a chair, and listened to Rei talk about Drac, without any sort of rude comments or sarcastic pity.

***

"Please, Allen?" Yumi begged. In mere hours, Yumi had gone from someone he had just met, to his near girlfriend. At this point, she was trying to convince Allen, the only source, not to tell about Shinji and Asuka's meeting at the party. No one else had seen Shinji and Asuka together besides she and Rei.

"Okay, Yumi. But only if it makes you smile." Allen said in a charming voice. Yumi didn't have to give one of her fake smiles, either.

"Thank you, Allen. Shinji's my best friend's roommate, and I'd hate to see Drac moping about the whole week he was in jail." Yumi said with something more than cheer.

"Drac. The Seventh Child. Hmm… I don't know very much about him. I've met him once, and we didn't even exchange greetings…" Allen said absently.

"Oh, Drac's a nice guy. But not nearly as nice as you…" Yumi winked, and ran down the street. Her phone began to ring, so Yumi stopped dead in her tracks. "Hello?" Yumi asked. Allen walked up to Yumi, and leaned against the wall, tipping his hat over his face.

"Hello, Yumi. This is Shinji." Greg said.

"Oh! Hi, Shinji! What's up?" Yumi said cheerily.

"How was the chocolate pie?" Greg asked

"Oh I adored the chocolate pie! I spent HOURS at the desert table. Of course, I have the metabolism of a humming bird, so I don't have to worry about that!" Yumi laughed.

"…There's another reason why I called you…" Greg sounded reluctant.

"What happened?" Yumi suddenly lost her cheeriness.

"…Drac was taken during the party by Brad's men. He had sustained major bullet wounds all over his body, and had lost a sufficient amount of blood…" Greg trailed off.

"What are you saying?" Yumi's eyes grew wide.

"We weren't able to save him, Yumi. I'm sorry." Greg said quietly. The phone fell to the ground and shattered on impact.   


***

"You're not going to jail, Shinji. Don't worry about it! We've got you covered! Allen won't tell about your encounter, and no one else knows!" Kaji said with a smirk. "It helped that you didn't come out of that room until the shooting started."

"Why won't Allen tell?" Shinji asked. Kaji chuckled a little.

"Our friend Yumi has developed quite a relationship with one of our operatives…" Kaji trailed off."

"You got Yumi in with Allen?!?" Shinji fumed.

"It's not like we forced her. Things just… happened." Kaji reassured.

"Right. So I have to call Rei and tell her to tell Asuka not to tell anyone." Shinji said.

"Something like that." Kaji said, dumbfounded.

"Anyway, you were saying?" Shinji urged him on.

"Yeah. The reason NERV won't know about this. You see, the usual NERV personnel sent to guard you were busy someplace else. You have Brad to thank for that. Our operatives found their dead bodies outside the respective Eva pilot's houses. They didn't even see you leave." Kaji said.

"So, why didn't they just shoot us at our apartments?" Shinji asked.

"There is a defense unit outside every one of the Children's houses, as well as a mobile unit that follows the children around everywhere they go. Brad's operatives took out the mobile unit, and placed a confirmation recording in the position were they should be."

"I see." Drac said. "So that's why we're clear?"

Kaji nodded. "You should get some rest. You weren't at the party, remember? You still have wake up in the morning for school, and if you're tired, NERV will be suspicious." Kaji began to head out the door.

"Kaji, what happened to Drac?" Shinji said abruptly. Kaji stopped in mid step, becoming rigid from the enquiry.

"I'm sorry, Shinji. We weren't able to save him." Kaji left quietly, leaving Shinji in a state of supreme shock.

***

Allen had taken the weeping Yumi home, carrying her in his arms. He had set Yumi on her bed, and tried to reassure her with a brush of the cheek and a smile. Yumi threw her arms around him, and cried even louder, leaving Allen with nothing to do but hold her close and stroke her hair. This went on for several minutes until Yumi's sister came into the room with a smirk on her face.

"So, Yumi, who's your friend?" She trailed off when she saw the state her younger sister was in. "What happened, Yumi?"

"Drac is… Drac is dead!" Yumi wept. Cara reared back in shock, then moved to her sister's side. She placed a hand on Yumi's arm, which she noticed was wrapped around Allen.

"What, is he your boyfriend or something?" Cara asked jokingly, trying to cheer Yumi up.

"And if I were?" Allen said with a mysterious smile. Cara smiled at her little sister, and affectionately rubbed the top of her head.

"I'll leave you two alone…" Cara winked at Allen, who sighed heavily. The door closed, leaving Allen and Yumi alone together.

"Allen… Thank you." Yumi said, choking back her tears and sliding away from Allen. Allen looked confused.

"Whatever for, Yumi?" Allen asked, perplexed.

"For defending me from my sister? For taking me home? For being generally all around nice to some girl you just met at a party? Take your pick." Yumi said, bringing her head to her knees. Allen smiled a genuine 'Allen the Charmer' smile, and spoke in the unique 'Allen the Charmer' tone.

"Answering the last question, It's always polite to be nice to people on first meetings. The second question has an equally simple answer. You can never leave a damsel in distress. The first question… Ah well, it's not like I would MIND being your boyfriend…" Allen tried to look around her legs for a reaction. He heard a giggle and a sniff. Yumi lifted her head with a smile, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for cheering me up, Allen." Yumi said, taking his hand.

"No problem." Allen said softly, brushing a stray hair from her face.

***

Rei stayed up most of the night talking to Asuka about Drac, and the remainder of the night talking to her about other things. In the morning, neither were in the least bit tired. Asuka walked Rei to school, talking regular gossip.

Asuka could tell that she had bottled Drac up in her mind; She could se it in her eyes.

Rei was crying inside, but was perfectly fine on the outside. Asuka actually enjoyed talking to Rei, and it was clear that Rei enjoyed talking to her. Asuka had made a new friend, and she was ecstatic about it, but she couldn't help but feel down about Drac.

When they arrived at school, Asuka sneaked up behind Shinji, and turned him around sharply, kissing him directly on the lips. When he regained consciousness, he sat down next to Asuka. Rei, who a decided not to sit in her usual seat, was sitting on Asuka's other side.

They had created a little club. Asuka vaguely noticed Kensuke enter the room, glare at Shinji, and take his usual seat. Asuka found it sadly manifested that the Three Stooges had been disbanded. It was already apparent, since Touji was hospitalized, that they would be falling apart, but Asuka felt guilty that she had finished them off…

Allen entered the room with a girl on his arm. 'He already has a new girlfriend! That bastard!'

Kensuke waved at Allen's new girl, and she dragged Allen to sit next to Kensuke.

(Asuka's response to this: ?-??)

***

"Hey, Kensuke! What's up?" Yumi asked cheerily dragging Allen down into a chair.

"Who's this?" Kensuke asked. Even though he already knew. Tashiama Allen, 7th Child.

"He's my boyfriend!" Yumi said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"That's great. I'm happy for you." Kensuke lied. "So, Allen, what are your interests?"

"My interests?" Allen asked blankly.

"Yeah, you know. Like, "I like to look into women's bathrooms." Or something."

"Oh. Well, there is that…" Allen smiled innocently at Yumi, who gave him a stern look. "Well, let me think… I like long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, and soap on a rope." Kensuk chuckled.

"Allen…" Yumi gave him a look.

"Ok, Ok! Seriously, I like soccer, soft rock, swords, and semi-automatics." Allen said gracefully.

"What kind of guns?" Kensuke asked with a gleem in his eye.

"Usually shot guns, but a good sniper rifle is better than any shotgun."

"I have a sniper rifle from 1994 in my bedroom hanging on my wall, you know."

"Really?" Allen's interest sparked like a flash fire. "I might be interested in seeing it sometime…"

***

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave…" Bren said, watching the scene played before him. "You realize that things just became 5 times more complicated."

"I know. But does that mean that we should give up on them?" The white haired angel asked defiantly.

"Not in the least, by dear brother. It's just that I may have to try now." Bren said, deep in thought.

"I thought you said you could do this with your wings behind your back."

"Well, I was wrong, wasn't I brother? Our powers combined may not be able to stop all three forces at once…"

"And with Drac gone, we have no foothold. We may have to go there physically."

"Might I remind you that my presence would disturb a great many people?"

"Ah, yes… Well, You can stay here and be my eyes, I guess. A pity. I wanted to talk to all the pilots before I arrived. I have only seen Rei…"

"And Drac."

"But Drac won't be able to help us for a while, I think."

"Yes…"

"Heaven is quite far away from us now, isn't it my brother?"

End of Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to one of the greatest authors of all time, and also a man who wrote some of the Monty Python scripts, though we remember him most fondly when we think of the ill-named Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy. Douglas Adams died May 12, 2001 of a heart attack. It saddens the world greatly that such genius is lost to us, and that another work by this man will never be seen on this earth.

However, his wisdom will live on with us in his writing, and his wit will make future generations laugh, despite his departure from this earth. Let us not dwell on the fact that he is no longer with us, but be assured that he lives on through his majestic works of literature. His books are timeless, and so, allowing him to live forever in our hearts.

Chapter 9

"He is conscious?" A voice asked calmly. He heard another voice give confirmation, and yet another object to something. He wasn't sure. He could only make out that one voice… "I will talk to him."

He opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but found that he was strapped down to the bed on which he was laying. He examined the room with his limited field of vision to discover that there were three men in the room, of which two were on their way out. The man that remained fiddled with his glasses, and moved to the side of the bed.

"Hello, Drac. It's me. Brad. I wanted to tell you that I made a mistake. Abandoning your project, no matter how much I was being pressured by Gendo, was inexcusable. I was afraid that, if I didn't abandon the project, that he would terminate it, along with you.

"I will make it up to you though! I'll finish the project here and now! You'll be better than knew! Your Eva piloting abilities will be quadruple that of even Allen's! Gendo didn't recognize your potential. I do. Fuja will be brought out fully, making you more powerful than he ever dreamed." Brad dropped his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Drac." Brad looked up. Drac then noticed the look of pure insanity in the man's eyes. The man had snapped. "I will make this up to you." Brad left the room with determination, signaling for them to continue. Then came the pain. The electrodes, and the pain. They all came back… The pain…

***

It was lunch time, and Asuka was sitting as close to Shinji as possible. It was almost as if their meals were forgotten, for Asuka ate very little and looked at Shinji quite often. One hand was always gripping Shinji's as tightly as possible.

'The only place we're aloud to be around each other… I don't hate school anymore.' Asuka thought absently. Rei sat quietly devouring her lunch with increasing passion. Noticing that neither Shinji nor Asuka had touched their food in the past 5 minutes, she took it upon herself to assure that it was eaten.

Asuka reached down for another bite, only to find an empty plate and a smiling Rei. Asuka was baffled.

"Did I eat it all?" Asuka asked, honestly not remembering. Rei nodded her head vigorously. Asuka shrugged, and stood up. "Come on! We've got a good 15 minutes left of lunch! Let's go for a walk! Maybe we can sit under a tree and think for awhile!" Shinji and Rei both followed the enthusiastic Asuka, not knowing exactly where they were going.

Sure enough, Asuka had picked the biggest tree on the school grounds, and instructed them to sit. After Shinji took a seat, so did Asuka, which made him very nervous. Shinji didn't necessarily hate it when Asuka sat on his lap, on the contrary, he found it very pleasurable. The fact was that when Asuka sat on his lap, he began to get very naughty thoughts that he didn't like to think about in public…

Rei giggled at how uncomfortable a position Shinji was in. 'This is as good as TV! No, TV isn't interactive. This is BETTER than TV!' Shinji's face had turned a unique shade of red, and Asuka wasn't helping matters by snuggling close to him and, on occasion, nibbling on his ear. The lunch bell rang, signifying 5 minutes 'til the start of class.

"Oh, look! Class is starting! We are going to be late!" Shinji squealed. Shinji wasn't particularly looking forward to his next class, for this sensei had a seating chart. He wouldn't be sitting next to Asuka.

"So we'll be tardy… Oh well. Rei, you better go. You don't want to be late for class…" Asuka said before giving Shinji a long kiss on the lips. Shinji immediately became invertebrate. He felt as though every muscle in his body had melted away. Rei lightly tapped Asuka on the shoulder, pointing to the principal heading their way, though not looking at them as of yet.

"Whatever. Let's go, Shinji-kun. Listen. I thought we have been over this before. You can't stare at me like that!" Asuka growled. Shinji jumped up and stood by Asuka. "Let's go." Asuka said grudgingly. Immediately upon entering the classroom, Asuka asked if she could have a seat near Shinji. The Sensei reluctantly agreed, and Asuka took a seat.

The Sensei then gave a speech to Asuka about classroom behavior, and how one is not supposed to sit on their peer's lap during class time. Asuka countered that it wasn't class time yet, for the bell had yet to ring. The Sensei pleaded semantics, to which Asuka countered that semantics contributed the majority of law. The Sensei won the debate by saying, "Not in my classroom."

Asuka was proud of the fact that the teacher had to play that card, for that meant that he had no other card to play. 'Maybe I should join the debate team…' Asuka beamed.

Another boring day in physics class came drudging by as though it were an eternity. The Sensei talked about the frequency barriers of sound, as well as the Light spectrum. 'You can't see all of the existing light. You can only see certain things. Are all basic human emotions relative to nature in this respect?' Rei thought absently.

'Light shines through the window of the mind, and is separated into 4 panes… Each representing a different state of recognition in minds… Each representing a different point of view of yourself… What all see, What you see, What you don't see but others do, and what no one sees…' Rei's mind was beginning to wander a little more than she had been previously ready to allow. 'Psychology in Physics. Ugh.' She focused on the lecture again, and now he was talking about temperature extremities.

Asuka awakened Rei before the Sensei had honed in on the source of the loud classroom disturbance.

***

"'Allen' seems to have taken a liking to #10, Commander. It could play to our favor." Fuuyutski commented. 

"Yes…" Gendo trailed off, looking at the report set in front of him.

"Perhaps we could move her up the list?" Fuuyutski offered. Gendo shook his head.

"The other two have too great a potential. We must still follow SEELE's commands. Bradley's team is still too powerful for us to control on our own." Gendo examined the report thoroughly.

"Dr. Thomas was not thinking wisely when he took the Sixth child to his base. Now, every side knows here his base is, and all are against him." Fuuyutski stated.

"All sides are aiming for the same goal. We are just looking for the means in which to reach that goal." Gendo corrected.

"All sides know that the ends do not justify the means, therefore they are taking it upon themselves to make those means a justifiable path to the ends." Fuuyutski agreed.

"Yes…" Gendo rested into his seat, and covered his face with his hands. "And to the victor goes the spoils…" Gendo let a small smirk spread across his face.

***

The report Ritsuko had left with the commander was thorough and brief at the same time. To make the great complexities of the world into pure simplicity was a skill of hers, though she had always had a problem with tact.

Arriving at her office, she noticed that the lock had been picked. She entered and threw the bouquet of roses in the trash, not even reading the card first. "Why won't he just go away?" Ritsuko asked aloud. She knew who they were from. She knew the exact number of roses (5), carnations (4), and Lillies (5) that were in the bouquet. It was the same every time.

She knew exactly what the card said, too. It wasn't that the card said the exact same thing every time, it was only that she knew exactly what the card was about. Ritsuko was flattered by the attention she was being given, but was not interested in Brad.

Ritsuko just didn't want to admit to herself why.

***

"You mean… ASUKA and SHINJI?!?" Touji gaped. "He betrayed us?!?" Touji's face was one of pure horror. Kensuke nodded sadly. "How could he DO this to us? What will happen to the 3 stooges?" Touji looked downcast.

The reason Touji's operation had taken so long was the fact that he wasn't getting artificial limbs. Half way through the procedures, the doctors scrapped the project in light of a better technology that was less dangerous than the previous.

"The 3 Stooges are gone, man. You just have to learn to let these things go." Kensuke said with mock sadness.

Instead of having a metal leg and arm, he would have one of flesh. NERV had discovered that, through cloning, they could surgically replace the dead limbs with living ones. If it didn't work the first time, they could try it again. It took 3 tries for the operation to succeed, solely because it was the first time anyone had done anything like it.

"Why are you so cheery? Our group's been destroyed by the redheaded devil!" Touji growled.

Had Touji received the artificial limbs, an Eva would have rejected him as a pilot. Now that he had real limbs, however, the Eva would not have any objections. To make a long explanation short, Touji was physically capable of piloting an Eva again. Mentally was a whole other story.

"Because we don't need Shinji. Let him have his fun. I have a backup." Kensuke said with pride.

Touji was completely terrified of them. He was afraid that what happened last time would happen again. Kensuke had done some research on the matter (Cough, cough), and found that the Eva went berserk for a great number of reasons, none of them which were Touji's fault.

"Backup? What do you mean backup?" Touji queried.

It appeared to Kensuke that the Eva had gone out of control because someone had sabotaged the Eva. Kensuke had not been Idle while every other person in the world went to the party. He was busy hacking into the NERV database. He had, on accident, ended up hacking into MAGI itself, much to his disbelief.

"We can use the new pilot in our group. He won't mind." Kensuke said simply.

What surprised him most was that, even though he had hacked into the highest branch of NERV, he still saw big holes in the layout. There were things so important that they didn't even keep them in MAGI. From reading the reports, he determined that NERV wasn't the only organization of power.

"When do I get to meet this kid?" Touji asked, giving Kensuke a very discomforting smile.

Kensuke had found at least 2 other groups existence other than NERV, and evidence of another group that he wasn't quite sure of. These groups were against each other in a form of Mafia war only not as friendly. What he found particularly shocking was a list. A list of every student at his high school excluding the Eva pilots. And every student had been assigned a number.

"He said that he was coming over after he picked up Yumi, but I don't know. Maybe they went somewhere to make out or something." Kensuke said with all seriousness.

At first, Shinji thought it might be a student registry file, but then the Eva pilots would also be listed. Then he thought that it might be an Eva pilot registry list, but then decided against that one too…

"I see. So not only did you have him come, but you told him to bring his girlfriend along." Touji glared. "The 3 Stooges aren't allowed to have girlfriends. It ruins our image."

If it were a pilot registry list, Kensuke wouldn't be as high up the list as he was. NERV had adamantly refused Kensuke's applications in a way signifying, "Not on your life kid."

"What about Hikari? Isn't she YOUR girlfriend?" Kensuke asked casually. Touji began to have a nosebleed.

Hikari was the only name on the list ahead of him. Yumi was directly after him. The list didn't start at 1, either. It started at 8 with Hikari, making Kensuke 9, and Yumi 10. Kensuke then thought that the Eva pilot candidate list wasn't too far off…

"Hikari? My girlfriend? Umm…" Touji was cut off when an embarrassed Hikari came in. She blushed greatly at hearing what Touji said. Touji began to stammer.

But NERV wouldn't go as far as to classify a whole school of Eva pilot candidates, would it? That would be too much effort, and it would take too much time… And out of all the students, only Touji was already here when offered the position…

"He, Hello, Touji…" Hikari was a color of red that matched Asuka's hair. Kensuke silently excused himself and closed the door, after which occupied a glass and listened in on the conversation.

It was still too much of a coincidence that the whole school was on a list of Eva pilot candidates, but it was the only logical thesis for the time being.

"Listen, Hikari, it wasn't what it sounded like…" Touji said, slightly coloring as well. Kensuke heard a noise, which he assumed was the noise of Hikari sitting on the bed.

Everything else in the database had been facts that he had already found out in other ways. Rei, for example, he knew to be a clone, but not of whom. He knew there were many of her in a basement in NERV somewhere. He had found out almost everything about Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Touji.

"Hmm… I thought you said that I was your girlfriend." Hikari said meekly.

Another thing that he was studying was a certain boy named Dracan. He had come across a medical report written by Dr. Akagi about a certain 'Dark Matter Organism' in his body. 

"Well… I didn't actually say that…" Touji muttered. "Kensuke had accused me of that, and I… Sort of repeated the question…" Touji trailed off in embarrassment.

Kensuke was relatively baffled, for he was unaware that Dark Matter could be formed INTO an organism by synthetic means, or even by natural. Man doesn't even know what Dark Matter IS yet, and somehow, they have created an organism out of it.

"Oh…" Hikari said, not particularly enthused. There was a long pause, and Kensuke's ear was beginning to hurt at how hard it was pressed against the glass. There was a light shuffle of movemetn as Hikari stood up.

Kensuke was absolutely convinced that it must be some sort of code name. It could have been a decryption error, for the document had been encrypted, but he doubted it. The report had said that the organism gave off a black ooze, as well as a chemical that breaks up within 6 seconds.

"I brought this for you! It's a candy basket. I would have brought one earlier, but… You know… NERV wouldn't let me…" Hikari said cheerfully.

Ritsuko also reported Matter created with no physical substance, but they could tell it was there. A.k.a., Dark Matter. Maybe she was calling it a 'Dark Matter Organism' because it produced Dark Matter, but that was too simple. Kensuke wanted a challenge.

"Thank you… You never can have too much chocolate…" Touji said. Kensuke heard in his voice how he was desperately trying not to rifle down all the candy at once; all he had been given at the hospital was hospital food. (Jello, Chicken Broth, and IVs)

Allen was the only one on whom he could find nothing solid on his past. He traced many different lines of his past, but they all stopped at one point. Allen went with his birth mother to her work for the day, and his mother died.

"Don't eat it all at once. You'll get a tummy ache." Hikari instructed.

There was nothing about him anywhere before that. He had no birth records, no school photos, no nothing. It was as if he didn't exist until 4 years ago…

"I won't. I promise." Touji said, unconvincingly.

This left Kensuke completely in the dark. And Kensuke didn't like not knowing about things. Kensuke had searched all of NERV, and found absolutely nothing on Allen. A mystery appeared, and Kensuke was going to solve it…

"I know what you're planning. You're going to wait until I leave, and eat it all!" Hikari scolded.

If Allen had no past before coming to a certain location, Kensuke had to hack into that location… One problem, though. It was closed down. The company had expanded and now was in over 54 different locations worldwide, one of them in Japan. Why hack in America, when you can hack in Japan?

"Don't worry. Kensuke won't let me. Will you, Kensuke?" Touji asked. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Kensuke was on the ground in the hospital room.

Kensuke's train of thought was totally destroyed.

"Eheh, eheh, eheh…" Kensuke said, hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

***

Yumi took another sip of her pop before continuing on the rest of her Ice Cream. Allen had taken Yumi out for some Ice Cream, and before that, they had stopped by a Pizza parlor. After dessert, they were going to watch a movie. They hadn't really decided on a movie yet, but Allen had conceded to whatever movie that she wished to watch.

"So, Allen, what's on?" Yumi asked sweetly.

"Let's see… The Quad is playing four movies now, two of which are the same movie." Allen said thoughtfully. "Pokemon: Pikachu's Retirement Home, Gundam XXX," Allen paused, and cleared his throat nervously, "And a romance flick. Really not much to watch." Allen said, getting ready to throw away the screen time list away. Yumi snatched it and took a look.

"Hey! They're playing "You Are My Dreams" in theatres 1 and 4! I've heard that this is a GREAT movie. Shinji said it was good, and so did… Drac." Yumi said, trying not to think about it. Allen recognizing the pain on her face, gave in.

"Okay. Fine. We can go see the chick flick if it means that much to you." Allen said with a sigh.

"Yipee! Let's go!" Yumi grabbed him by the arm and drug him to the theater.

***

"He is dying, sir. There is nothing we can do." Reported a nameless lackey. Brad was furious.

"He CAN'T DIE! He is humanity's future! He must live!" Brad screamed. He didn't want Drac to die. He still loved his stepson, even though he couldn't show it.

"He is not dying through physical wounds, sir! He is dying because he has lost the will to live!" the man shouted back, trying to make his superior understand. Drac was his hope for the world. At first, he though it was Allen, but now, he realized that Allen was of no use.

Drac was the only one who could stop it. God's prophecy… Only he could stop the end of the earth… Brad found it eerie to pray to God when he was defying him, but He felt like it was the only thing left for him to do…

***

Wake up, Drac.

What do you want? Just let me die.

Drac, you can't just die. People are counting on you.

What are you talking about?

'You mustn't come here yet! It is not your time!' A vague shape called to him, quieter than a whisper.

'Why? What is there left for me to do? To go back and be Brad's guinea pig again?' Drac said weakly.

'Everything depends on you! Bren may think otherwise, but YOU are the key factor! Not Allen!' The image became clearer and clearer, as Drac could almost make out a humanoid shape. 'You are the hope of mankind!'

'Hope… Who could put their hope on me…? I am nothing… All I am is a research specimen for my Dear ol' step-dad to play with…' The humanoid form became so that he could make out a boy with wings. Drac realized that he was dying. This was an angel, and he was going to heaven. Drac felt his approach to this new plane of existence accelerate until he could make out the face of the angel.

"DRAC! You are DYING! Do you want to leave Rei alone in that world?!?" They angel screamed at him. Drac's advance stopped dead cold.

"Wh, What?" Drac stammered, surprised by the angel's outburst.

"If you come here now, Rei will be alone. If you die, she will revert to her old self. A heartless drone. When you arrived in her life, you activated her soul, which Gendo had sealed up in the body of the clone which she now is." The boy said sadly.

'Her soul…?" Drac said quietly.

'Yes. Gendo can clone humans, but he cannot clone a soul. He used poor Yui's soul so that Rei could live. You broke through the barriers set by Ikari, and revived Rei's soul, which was sealed by him… Somehow… We cannot scan Rei's mind, so we cannot figure out why." The blur said quietly.

If I die, Rei will be alone?

Yes.

Then I must live. I must live… for Rei…

End of Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This Chapter is dedicated to the unsigned reviewer, Wufei Chang. An interesting fellow, to whom I would like to apologize for the Fei look-alike remark. Wu Fei doesn't look like Fei, Fei looks like Wu Fei. Think about it. All that is dissimilar is the little strand of hair protruding from his scalp!

I especially like his review on Chapter 8, even though there were misspellings in it. Wu Fei came before Fei, so that was the big mix-up. Anyway, Read on, my children, read on.

Chapter 10

"Welcome back, Drac. We almost lost you for awhile there." Brad said. Drac opened his eyes slowly, and brought a hand to his head. He immediately pulled it away. He was covered from head to toe in the mysterious black goo that had come out of him in the Eva.

"What the hell?" Drac whispered. The voices in his head had come back, and stronger than before. Only this time, he could make out what they were saying.

'Drac is well. That is good. Everything is according to plan…' The voice had stopped immediately after Drac recognized the voice. It was Brad's voice, and yet his lips hadn't moved.

"Are you alright, Drac?" Brad asked, concerned. Another thing had changed from when he heard the voices before. He could now shut them off.

"I'm fine. Now let me go." Drac grumbled, struggling against the binds.

"Now, I'm afraid I can't do that. I am positive that you would run and tell NERV about his place, and that wouldn't do. Not at all…" Brad was interrupted by a loud banging sound on the door. "What is it?!?" Brad yelled.

"The base is under attack, sir! Normally, we wouldn't bother you, but we are being attacked from three sides! All three forces are attacking us at once!" The man cried. Brad swore and stood from his kneeling position.

"I guess I can just leave you here then, Drac. You have a 1/3 chance of it being NERV, so you might make it out alive. But if SEELE gets a hold of you, you are as good as dead." Brad said casually. The other soldier left with Brad, and closed the door. Outside he heard the two conversing in the hall.

"Guard the door with your life. If you see NERV personnel, you may flee. If you feel like there is no way to get out without being captured…" Brad paused, hesitant of what to say next.

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir." The man said with a slight twinge of regret.

"I'm sorry. If there was anything I could do…" Brad began, but the soldier interrupted.

"I know, sir. I will guard your stepson with my life. I consider it an honor to die in battle under your orders. May God lead your way to the light, sir." The soldier said with sincerity and respect. Drac heard footsteps as he assumed Brad was running down the hallway, full speed.

Drac knew one thing for certain. If God was with Brad at that moment, he would roast in Hell.

***

"As you can see, I am occupied at the moment, so I would prefer it if you would make this quick." Gendo said in a relatively irritated tone. He was so focused on what he was doing on his computer that he refused even to look up. Shinji was beginning to have second thoughts about confronting his Father. But then he thought of Asuka, and all of the doubt in his courage left.

"I, I want you to restraining order on Asuka and me." Shinji stammered quietly. Gendo turned away from his work, a look of slight amusement and disbelief etched in his features. Gendo looked his son strait in the eyes, and stared, trying to bore a whole into his soul.

Shinji weakened at the glare and he felt inclined to leave the room, but he gazed right back at his father's piercing glare. Shinji wasn't a coward. And he would prove it to him. And to her…

Gendo turned away and resumed looking at the monitor. "Very well. As of midnight tonight, the restraining order will be removed. Now if you will excuse me, I am very busy at the moment."

Shinji left the room without saying a word. After the door closed, Shinji took a deep breath that he had been holding in for a minute and a half. His heart was beating so fast, he couldn't count the beats. But he didn't care. Tomorrow, he could see Asuka outside of school. It was worth it.

Shinji walked silently down the hall, and headed home, proud of his triumph over his father.

***

"Everything is ready to go, sir. Shall we make our assault?" The soldier asked nervously. Kaji thought on this, and nodded, loading his pistol.

"Yeah. The longer we wait, the more time we waste. We have to go in, rescue Drac, and get out. Avoid NERV personnel, but if you see any from SELEE, shoot to kill. Those are our orders." Kaji said smirk on his face.

"And if we see any of Brad's people?" the soldier asked.

"Do whatever comes to mind at the time. Try capturing him alive, if possible." Kaji said, relaxed.

"Yes sir!" The soldier supplied the information to the others in the assault force. The force moved in, Kaji right behind them. The main force turned around a corner, and Kaji turned around another. He wasn't here to be in the fight.

Kaji slid into the room of destination, and, seeing no one around, began to riffle through the files. File #1: a report on Adam. File #2: a report on Fuja. File #3: a report on Brian's killing. With that, Kaji slid back out of the room, and joined the rest of the force, first sliding the folders into a concealed pocket in his coat.

"Report." Kaji said to the soldier in charge.

"Came in contact with one of Brad's men. He was guarding a door, and when we came into view, he began to shoot at us. We tried to capture him, but he drank the contents of a vial, most likely poison. The soldier is now dead." The soldier reported.

"And Drac?" Kaji asked.

"He was in the room that the soldier was guarding. We have freed him, but…" The soldier trailed off.

"What?" Kaji asked.

"Maybe you should see for yourself." The soldier lead Kaji to the room, where Drac was lying on the ground. His skin had lightened several shades from the last time Kaji saw him, making him look very sickly. His hair was black from some form of ooze.

"Hey, Drac. You Okay?" Kaji asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I'm fine…" Drac said weakly. Drac tried to get up, but fell backwards in pain.

"What did they do to you?" Kaji asked, concerned.

"The same thing they did last time, I assume." Drac was helped up by two soldiers. Drac, upon being lifted, fell unconscious, and had to be carried.

"Move out! We have to leave before NERV or SEELE get here!" Kaji commanded.

There was a rush off people as every one was making for the exit. Before Kaji left, he noticed something on the ground. A silver cross was gleaming in the light. He turned it over in his hand to find, on the back, the word NOAH. Kaji smirked slightly before booking it out of the building.

Drac began to murmur under his breath. Kaji leaned closer to him to hear what he was saying.

"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich, and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan…"

***

Allen particularly didn't like romance, and he also didn't like medieval films. As far as he could tell, this guy was in a brotherhood of thieves who thought that Elves were evil. The main chick was an elf, and elves thought that all humans were evil. 

"Your beauty which doth pass by my vision, it melts me to the core. Be you a vile succubus, intent to steal my soul?" Flin accused of her, puzzlement and hate engraved on his face.

"I know not of what you speak of, dear sir. I be merely a lonely girl, lost in this fair city." Cara smiled convincingly. Flin relaxed slightly, and lowered his dagger.

"What dost you wish of me, Elf?" Flin said, the race leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

"I merely search for the Great Library. For why dost you draweth thine weapon? I hath not drawn mine." She asked innocently. Hesitantly, Flin sheathed his dagger, an uncertain look on his face.

Allen was about ready to take a nap, but he realized that Yumi had wrapped her arm around his in a way so as to make that impossible. "Hey, Yumi. I'm going to get some popcorn. Do you want anything?" Allen whispered politely.

"Yes, please! Get me some popcorn and a pop!" Yumi said thankfully.

Allen bought some popcorn, as well as the pop, and waited for several minutes before reentering the theatre. The movie was mind numbingly dull. It wasn't the fact that it was a chick flick, for he had sat through them before. It wasn't the fact that it was obviously a Romeo and Juliet remake, for he found the original play intriguing.

The thing that made this movie so stupid was the fact that it was a remake of a remake of a remake of a remake of Romeo and Juliet. They so obviously based their plot on a movie that was based on Romeo and Juliet. It ruined the entire feel of the movie.

"Here." Allen said, handing her the popcorn and pop that she had asked for.

"Thank you." She whispered back, dabbing her face with a handkerchief. He had obviously missed a very important piece of the plot, for Flin and Cara were engaged in a passionate embrace. He took a seat, and Yumi wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his abdomen.

(Allen's feelings right now: ^.^!! )

***

Rei laid wrapped in her blankets, silently crying to herself. She couldn't take it anymore. Drac was dead. At first, she could block it out of her mind, but now, all she could see was his face. The look of death she saw in his body. His blood oozing on the patio. His blood on her body. His blood on her hands.

Rei missed Drac greatly. So great, in fact, that she couldn't even think strait. She knew that she loved him now. She loved him more than anything else in this world. He was gone now. Now she was alone.

She remembered the first time they met. He was a crying boy, looking for comfort. Rei normally wouldn't have tried to reassure someone. That Rei would have kept on going if she heard someone crying. But when she saw Drac for the first time, she couldn't help but feel some odd emotion. As if they were the same somehow…

"Who's there…?" Came a voice from a room with the door partially open. Rei was about to pass by the room without saying anything, but a feeling of curiosity passed over her. This was a feeling that she had never felt before, and therefore failed to prevail against it.

"My name is Ayanami Rei." She said entering the dark room. It was a padded room with nothing in it but a security camera, a light socket, which was now off, and a small, terrified boy in the center. He looked at Rei with a half frightened, half curious gaze, not taking his eyes off her.

"I'm, I'm Drac…" He said with a stutter. It was obvious that he had been crying, for his face was wet with tears.

"Why were you crying?" Rei asked.

"The… The monster… Wants to eat me…" He said, holding back tears. Rei came closer and knelt down by him.

"What monster?" Rei asked, slight curiosity appearing in her voice. With that, the boy threw his arms around Rei's waist and began to cry into her chest. This startled Rei, and her first response would have been to jump back, but for some reason she didn't.

The boy began to spurt out gibberish and incoherent nonsense. Rei's second response, though she had never done it before, was to try to console him in some way. Rei had no idea how. Suddenly, Rei remembered how, but she had never had anything to remember. It was as though it was from another life…

Rei wrapped her arms around the boy and clasped his head so her breast, whispering reassurances in a quiet voice. That's when she felt it. The feeling of being similar to him, but not quite. She didn't know what it meant, but she felt a bond between them somehow…

But he was dead now. He was killed, and then they took away his body. The only person she actually felt some connection towards, and he was dead. 

"Having no emotion is far worse than experiencing both the good and the bad of yourself."

Drac had said that to her once to defeat her in an argument. He had won, which he usually did. But now, she was starting to doubt that statement. Without him, there was no good to experience. Only a hollow, empty feeling where he should have been.

If there is no good left, why should I experience the bad? Why feel at all…

***

"The movie was so touching! And the ending was so tragic! It had me crying for half the movie!" Yumi said, reviewing the movie to Allen on their way home. Allen didn't like the movie at all, but it had set the mood…

"It was alright." He said, sliding an arm around her waist. Yumi noticed, and leaned closer to him.

"Allen, thank you." Yumi said.

"For what?" Allen asked, confused.

"For taking me out to the movie when you didn't want to see that one." Yumi said.

"I would give anything to be with you, Yumi." Allen said with a smile. Yumi smiled back, and leaned forward. Allen pulled her close and kissed he lightly on the lips. He backed her up against a wall and kissed her harder than before, letting his hands roam across her body.

At first, she tried to resist, jerking to the left a bit. After a few seconds, Allen felt all of her muscles relax as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

***

"Hey, Drac. You awake?" Came the call of a familiar, pleasant voice. Drac couldn't remember the voice, or much of anything else. It was painful to even open his eyes, for the light blinded him. "Hey, could you guys turn off that light? Honestly! Flashing floodlights on a kid! I'd think you guys would be a little more mature!" The voice barked. Drac recalled that this was Brian's voice, but thought that to be impossible. Brian was dead… Wasn't he?

"Brian?" Drac asked drowsily. Through the purple splotches on his eyes, he could make out the familiar face of a man that had basically been his father figure. The man who had died in America. The man to whom he did not say goodbye to because he knew he would see again.

"Yeah, it's me. So, how ya feelin' kid?" Brian patted him on the back hard, forcing the air out of his body. "Er… Sorry."

"I'm doing fine. And you?" Drac said, completely calm.

"I figured you'd be a little surprised to see me, seeing how I died and all." Brian said, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I knew that you wouldn't die without giving me the chance to say goodbye." Drac said, picking up the tray of food that had been set beside the bed. "Want some pie?" Drac said with disgust, offering Brian the apple pie lookalike.

"No, thanks. Last time I ate one of those, I got food poisoning!" Brian laughed. Drac rolled his eyes in the usual 'Brian's Bad Joke' fashion. "So, uh… How's your side feelin'?" Brian said, a little embarrassed.

"Actually, It doesn't hurt at all. That's unusual." Drac said, pulling up his shirt to examine his side. The black marks and spots were gone. "HUH?" Drac was puzzled.

"That answers one question. He finished what he started… Looks like he doesn't think you're worthless after all, Drac." Brian said quietly.

"So, what happened that night when I was rescued?" Drac asked to change the subject. Brian went into briefing mode as he gathered up the information in his head.

"The Organization gathered it's forces and made an attempt on rescuing the Sixth child. They encountered minimal resistance on the part of Brad's side, however both SEELE and NERV had also launched a strike on the compound at the same time. NERV and the Organization were pushed aside by SEELE, and they took the complex. 5 minutes later, the complex exploded taking 500 some SEELE operatives with it."

"Knowing that SEELE was weakened, Brad launched a counter attack on them, the specific details are unknown, and he came out victorious. SEELE lost, and the counsel members were killed. Anyway, we got you out of there, and now you're here." Brian finished.

"I see…" Drac said, trailing off.

"'I see,' said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer and saw…" Brian said with a smirk. Drac rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, Drac, did he tell you what he was doing to you at all? We haven't the foggiest."

"All he said was that he would finish what he started." Drac said, uneasy. "Why?"

"Maybe you should take a look in the mirror…" Brian said. Drac reached for the hand mirror that was conveniently at his bedside. "We washed the black gunk out of your hair, and… It's not dye… It's down to the roots…" Brian trailed off.

Drac looked in the mirror. His hair had turned blue: the exact shade of blue as Rei's.

***

Rei had stayed up the entire night. It was 3 A.M, and she felt no assurances that she would be going to sleep any time soon. She got out of her bed, and poured herself a glass of Orange Juice. She exited her apartment and went for a walk. She didn't know where she was going, or why, just that she was going somewhere.

She found herself climbing a hill and, when she reached the top of it, she looked in awe at the sight. Before her stood all of Tokyo-3. It's many lights shone with beauty and happiness.

She sat down and stared at the lights for what seemed like hours, wishing Drac were there with her.

"The lights are a beautiful sight from afar, you know. They are even more beautiful when watched with someone else." A familiar voice said from behind her. Rei closed her eyes, turned in the direction of the voice, and threw herself at him, not bothering to open her eyes. When she was caught, she threw her arms around Drac's neck, and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Drac… You were dead…" Rei said finally, breaking the kiss.

"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for awhile. *" Drac said, touching her cheek gently. "Did you honestly think that I'd die without giving you a chance to say goodbye?" Drac asked quietly. Rei touched his face gently.

"What did you do to your hair?" Rei asked mockingly. Drac shrugged and ran a hand through it.

"I dyed it. I liked your hair so much, I thought it would look good on me too." Drac lied, and Rei knew it. Something had happened. Something…

"It doesn't matter. You are alive… I must be dreaming." Rei said and, in response, Drac pinched her on the butt. "OW! What did you do THAT for?"

"Just to show you that you weren't dreaming…" Drac said with a very unconvincing smile.

"I think you just wanted to touch my butt." Rei said accusingly.

"Can't fool you, can I?" Drac said, gripping her hand tighter than before.

"I love you, Drac…" Rei whispered in his ear.

"I love you too, Rei. More than anything. I would die for you." Drac said. 'And yet I was forced to live for you…' Rei heard echo in her head.

"To live for me?" she asked him. Drac became embarrassed.

"Did I say that aloud?" Drac asked silently.

"I guess so…" She said, and kissed him lightly on the mouth. After the kiss, she placed a finger on his lips and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped a blanket around them and kissed Rei on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Rei-chan…" He said, barely audible, into her ear.

"Goodnight, Dracun. **" Rei said, closing her eyes, and drifting into sleep.

End of Chapter 10

(* A line taken from the movie "Princess Bride", one of the three best Movies of all time.)

(** You know! His first name is DRACAN! Dracan, Drac-kun, Dracun! It's a pet name!)


	11. Chapter 11

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

MAN! I usually have enough time to come up with something witty to say here, but I just whizzed through this chapter and have no IDEA! Hmm… A few quotes would be nice here… Let's try a few Lunar Quotes. Nall is ALWAYS full of words of wisdom!

"Luna, I hope your nose is a snooze button, because I'm about to jab it!"

"How can you have a life's work if you don't have a life?"

"You ninny-ninny, dumb-dumb… POOPY HEAD!"

There you have it! Nall's words of wisdom! Those are my three favorites. Anyway, you didn't read this for Lunar crap. You read this for… {drum roll} …My Evangelion Fanfic! So read on! And as they say at Coke, Enjoy!

Chapter 11

Asuka woke up early that morning, and ran to the bathroom. She took a quick, five minute shower, then changed into her school uniform. After a few minutes of thinking and debate with herself, she removed her interface plugs and wore a light-blue colored bow instead. She went back into the bathroom with her chest of makeup and a small stool.

Asuka hadn't used makeup in awhile so she was quite rusty. A little rouge here, a little eyeliner there, a little nail polish for effect, and a lipstick that emphasized her hair and eyes at the same time perfectly. She dug into one of her boxes for her jewelry case, of which she also hadn't used for awhile.

After searching diligently, she located the object of her excavation. A small, gold, heart-shaped locket, a ruby set in the shape neatly. She hadn't worn this locket in a long time. She opened it to find the picture of her mother staring at her. She felt old memories rise up, but she pushed them away.

She noticed that the other side of the locket was unoccupied, so she took a miniature picture of Shinji and put it in the empty space. Closing the locket, she put it around her neck and closed the clasp on the golden chain. She slid it down the front of her dress and looked through the jewelry box to see what else she could find. She found two small, matching bracelets of a blue that matched her eyes. 

She put them on and dove in further for some earrings. She pulled out two solid emerald earrings, and put them on to complete her outfit. She walked to the mirror and looked herself over. "Perfect." Asuka said with satisfaction. She was so busy dressing up, that she hadn't noticed the smell of cooking wafting from the kitchen.

'Oh God. Misato made breakfast.' Asuka was petrified with fear. She moved out of her bedroom slowly, and stopped. 'This smells edible. This can't be Misato's cooking.' Asuka thought really hard about who it could be. 

Misato moved slovenly past Asuka, heading for the bathroom. On her way there, she placed a letter in her hands. The door to the bathroom closed with a sickening thud as Pen Pen headed into the bathroom before her. Misato grumbled under her breath and went back to her room.

Asuka remembered the note given her, and examined it thoroughly, breakfast completely forgotten. It was an official NERV document, signed at the bottom by none other than Commander Ikari himself. She read the note with great curiosity.

Major Katsuragi,

In light of current circumstances, being the death of Dracan Omoni, Ikari Shinji's roommate, I feel it in the best interest of all parties involved that Shinji not be living alone at this time. Seeing the problem of the restraining order in effect between he and Ms. Sohryu, I feel that it is imperative that this restraining order be removed at once.

To that end, the restraining order has been removed as of midnight tonight, and the First Child shall change residence to residing in the Katsuragi Household until further notice. If there are any complaints as to this new arrangement, fill out a NERV complaint form and leave it in the complaints bin in the NERV headquarters.

Commander Ikari Gendo

Asuka had made it to the ninth word of the second paragraph before leaping into the kitchen and embracing Shinji with a passionate kiss.

***

"That was an unexpected turn of events. We had no idea that Dracan was an operative for the Organization. Keeping Shinji in contact with him would not have been a good idea, but neither is letting this affection with Asuka run wild." Fuuyutski said, looking at nothing.

"That cannot be worked around. It CAN be planned around, however. We cannot remove Dracan from NERV, but I believe that the Organization understands our willingness to cooperate with them. The Sons of Noah must be disbanded. That is the only way either of our plans will work, though they are still too different for us to be in league for long. We must be ready before the Eagle comes. If we are not, then the world is doomed." Gendo bent his head in reverie.

"The Eagle will not appear for quite a while, sir. The Lion still must make his appearance." Fuuyutski assured.

"Yes, but when, Dear Doctor? When?" Gendo said, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.

***

"I still think that we should have skipped school! We still can, you know!" Asuka said in an alluring voice. "It would be so much fun… Just you and me… Maybe a corkscrew and a few ice cubes… It'll be fun…" Asuka whispered into his ear. Despite Shinji's reaction, he held his ground.

"W, What if my father finds out? He might put the restraining order back in effect." Shinji said, fighting the urge to rush Asuka off into an alley. Asuka shrugged.

"Suit yourself. We could have had a lot of fun…" Asuka smiled evilly, and began laughing.

"So, why are you so desperate to drink some wine? I thought you were a non-alcoholic." Shinji said innocently about the comment of the ice cubes.

"What a dull boy." Asuka said sighing, and sagging her shoulders. "No imagination. You're no fun at all."

"What do you mean by that?" Shinji asked with curiousity.

"You're not very romantic. You could have done any of a number of things, but what YOU do is cook me breakfast." Asuka accused.

"Misato WAS there, you know. I couldn't do anything like lie on your bed in wait, completely naked with a bottle of BBQ sauce." Shinji said off the top of his head.

"Hmm…" Asuka smiled in a not so innocent fashion, contemplating the idea just to get a rise out of him, which she didn't. "There's hope for you yet, Shinji. You need to work on your kissing though. And you need to be skilled at spur of the moment romance!" Asuka emphasized. Shinji slipped an arm around her waist, and supported her head with the other one as he dipped her backwards in a long passionate kiss.

"Spur of the moment enough for you?" Shinji asked after taking his lips from hers.

"Wha…?" Asuka said before shaking her head violently and bringing back her composure. "I'd give it about a 5…" Shinji glared at her. "Just kidding! You're a perfect 10." Asuka said, ruffling his hair slightly. "But I am curious as to why your hand has ventured quite lower than my waist." Shinji removed his hand from her thigh, and tipped her back up.

"Sorry…" Shinji said sheepishly. Asuka smacked him on the back of the head.

"Why are you apologizing?" Asuka growled.

"Well, you said that…" Shinji began. Asuka pushed him up against a wall, pressed her body up against his, and put her mouth next to his ear.

"I just asked you why you were doing it. I didn't ask you to stop…" Asuka said seductively. "My hair's red enough, Shinji. Now plug your nose before you stain your shirt." Asuka said, taking a small nip at his ear before heading down the road towards the school. "YOU COMING?" Asuka called after a few minutes. Shinji dashed down the road after her, still holding his nose.

***

"Where were you all night?" Brad asked, annoyed. "You were supposed to call." Yumi sighed, setting the phone to speaker, and began to change into her pajamas.

"I was out with Allen. We were… Talking." Yumi said, her face changing to a deep shade of red.

"Does it take until 4 A.M. to _talk_? Maybe you were doing more than just talking…" Brad began, but was interrupted.

"Shut up, Brad." Yumi said in a quiet voice. Brad did so. Very rarely did Yumi EVER disrespect Brad's position, but when she did, it was personal.

"Yeah, well… New data for the mission. It's in your computer. And one piece of good news. Drac is alive." Brad hung up with that, and left Yumi to her thoughts. Drac was alive… She had been told that he was dead. But… He was alive…

Yumi sat down in shock. Having almost gotten used to the fact that Drac wouldn't be around anymore, to have him appear again was somewhat of a shock. Another feeling passed through her. A feeling that said Drac wasn't that important. Allen had taken all of her senses, and made her feel at ease for the first time in her life.

He was so gentle. She couldn't imagine how the Organization could think that Allen was what they thought he was. Upon becoming Allen's girlfriend, Brad felt that she needed to know what he was. What he had become.

Her train of thought was broken by a yell coming from the downstairs, followed by another. Yumi sighed heavily and ran downstairs. Cara was yelling at her brother, tears streaming from her eyes. Her brother, Rico, was yelling back.

"Just calm down, you two! What's going on?" Yumi asked in a peeved voice.

"Cara won't do her chores! She's being lazy!" Rico said, nose in the air.

"My fiancé just died! Leave me alone!" Cara cried sadly.

"What?" Yumi asked, shocked.

"Drew… I just got a call from his employer… Drew was killed when some people brought guns to a party…" Cara said, a tissue held to her nose lightly.

"Mom is coming home today! We don't want her to come home to a messy house!" Rico said.

"Shut up, Rico! I'm sick off you always telling me what to do!" Cara cried.

"And I'm sick of always HAVING to tell you what to do!" Rico countered.

"Come on you two! Just calm down!" Yumi said calmly.

"Shut up, Yumi! What do YOU know? You come in here halfway through an argument, and insist that you know what is right! I'm sick of it!" Cara yelled.

"You have no RIGHT to tell us what to do, Yumi! Why don't you go back out in the street with your boyfriend for some seconds? Or did you think no one would notice?" Rico yelled. Yumi began to tear up and she ran out of the room.

"What is her problem? She always gets upset over everything. I think she has emotional problems." Cara said, taking a sip of her coffee and looking at the picture of Drew she had.

"Oh, knock it off! Just do your chores!" Rico scoulded.

"Shut UP, Rico!" Cara yelled back.

Yumi had since stopped listening. They always found SOMETHING to argue about. If one of them loaded the dishwasher wrong, they would argue about that. If one of them swept the floor wrong, they'd argue about that. If one of them left a piece of clothing in the bathroom, they'd argue about that.

It was a never ending argument with those two and, whenever Yumi tried to stop it, she ended up getting yelled at by the both of them. She didn't care anymore. Father's constant threats to kick them out of the house were in vain. Yumi wanted her family whole… She didn't want to be alone…

Yumi, at the point of tears, decided to go visit Allen. "Where are you going?" Rico asked , pausing from his argument with his older sister.

"I did my chores. Don't worry." Yumi said quietly before exiting the house

***

The creature opened its eyes, slowly awakening from its long slumber. Its eyes had to get used to the unusual brightness that it saw. It had never seen a light so bright. It brought a hand up to cover its eyes, and was surprised by what it saw. On his appendage, which used to be a small stub, were four digit, and an opposable fifth. He had a hand like Brian's and Brad's. He looked down to observe more. He also had two legs. Truly, his body had taken on the shape of theirs.

This caused him to smile. He then noticed that he was doing something odd. He wasn't breathing in and out the liquid anymore. He was a much lighter substance that he could hardly feel at all. He guessed that what he was breathing in now must be air. Then, another thought struck his mind.

He had been referring to himself as male. Mostly due to the fact that the equipment was there, his mind had just started to call himself as such, even though there was no conformation from Brian or Brad. He would have to ask one of them about it.

By this time, his eyes had adjusted to the bright light, and he began to examine the area. It was a large room and a few people were scurrying around busily. One in particular he noticed was Brian, at a large computer terminal, drinking a dark brown substance. Upon noticing the creature's awakening, he waved slightly, with a smile. The creature somehow felt reassured, and smiled back.

He noticed Brad move close to his tube, where he was busy playing with a few buttons and switches. The creature noticed the liquid in the tube slowly draining, and he found himself panicking slightly. He looked to Brad who was busy with his job, completely ignoring him. Brian, who had noticed the creature's discomfort, had walked to the side of the tube, and placed his hand on it.

The creature placed his hand upon Brian's, causing them both to smile. When the liquid completely disappeared, the creature found himself unable to stand, so he fell backwards, landing rather hard on his butt. The creature smiled stupidly. Brian laughed, and went about unsealing the tube. The procedure was rather simple, so they took the creature out of the tube and gave him a chair to sit in.

"He-Hello." The creature said weakly. Having only ever used his vocal cords once before, his speech was a little shaky.

"Hello. How are you feeling?" Brian asked in a curious tone.

"I feel a little weird… And my whole body feels heavy…" The creature said quietly. Brad had finished with his work, so he came and sat by Brian and himself.

"That's only normal. You have never been in an environment that wasn't liquid, and liquid tends to give buoyancy to the body, making it feel lighter. You'll get used to the extra weight." Brad said reassuringly. A thought had struck the creature as odd. 

Brian's name was Brian.

Brad's name was Brad.

He didn't have a name.

"Do I have a name?" the creature asked suddenly. The creature really never thought far enough as to what was going on in his life. When you've only been conscious twice in your entire life, you really don't have much philosophical thought. He was now thinking about how things were happening and why he had been born in a tube. The chip that he had been supplied with for language had told him what necessary things he needed to know to live, as well as language.

This chip told him that children weren't usually born in tubes.

"Of course you have a name, doesn't he, Brad?" Brian said quickly. Obviously, neither had put much thought into it, and Brian had quickly put Brad on the spot to save himself.

"Er… Ah…" Brad said, caught off-guard. The creature smiled.

"Does this mean I get to pick my own name?" He said, trying to remove the guilt from his elders.

"Er… Um… Sure! Yeah, we had a name all picked out for you, but if you want, you know, you can go ahead and pick your own name!" Brad said quickly, sighing at the end. The creature then decided that he wanted to have a little fun with Brad.

"What was it? Maybe I'd like it better than the name I thought up!" He smiled innocently. He could almost hear the mental curses that were being shouted by Brad.

"Well, uh… Actually… Allen! Yeah! Ow!" Brian lightly stepped on Brad's foot, but said nothing. This act he found rather peculiar. However, he was too busy to analyze why Brian had stepped on Brad's foot, for he was rolling the name around in several different languages all in his head.

'Allen. A-le-n. Allen. Al-len. Hmm…' The creature thought. The creature liked this name.

"Allen it is! I like it!" Allen said with energy. Brad smiled with triumph over his brother, to which Brian just fell silent. The creature… Allen… wondered why Brian was upset, but he also remained silent. Allen's thoughts were full of questions that he really didn't want to answer at the moment.

'My name is Allen,' He thought as Brad led him into a room to do a test.

Allen awoke with a start, not comprehending the vision shown to him. The two dreams tied together… And Allen was losing doubt in the fact that they were actually dreams… The fact that everything that he ever remembered did not deny the dreams… That hurt him… Allen had tried so hard to be like a normal kid for as long as he could remember…

He began to put the pieces together. His mother had been talking about abandoning the project… His father said that he couldn't… If these dreams were true… He was born in the lab, and very likely the project… His parents died for the project…

They died for him.

Allen felt the tears flow from his eyes again, and he did not resist them.

Allen heard the door open to his apartment, and heard footsteps. The Grim Reaper come to take his life. He welcomed it. Anything to take him out of this Hell. His spirits fell. It was Yumi. He didn't want Yumi to see him like this.

He quickly wiped his eyes and looked up at her. "Ever heard of knocking?" Allen asked. He could wipe away the tears, but he couldn't take the redness from his eyes. He noticed that hers were red as well.

"Are you okay?" they both asked. Yumi chuckled slightly and sat beside his bed.

"You tell me what happened to you, and I'll tell you what happened to me." Yumi said, a sad smile on her face. Allen smiled, picking her up and putting her on his lap, causing her to giggle. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they told each other about their problems.

They talked for a little while about their immediate problems. Then came the inevitable. Allen told her about his past, and about his foster parent's death. Yumi stared at him wide eyed, feeling sad for him. She kissed him on the cheek and laid her head on his shoulder. Allen drifted off into the sleep that seemed unachievable before…

***

After school, Shinji went back to Drac's house to pick up his things. Asuka had kindly volunteered to supervise his moving, and give moral support. In other words, Asuka would tell him what to do, and give him a kiss or a hug or something when he did it right. He liked having Asuka around for moral support…

Shinji heard the door open, so he peaked out into the hallway to see who it was. Shinji dropped the box he was holding to the ground. Drac walked to Shinji, Rei following closely behind. A few minutes ago, Drac was dead, and now he was walking up to him. 

"Hey, Shinji. Orders from above." He whispered while passing by. Since when was Drac's hair blue? Shinji noticed a small weight develop in his pocket, though he had not actually seen Drac put the letter in. Asuka saw Drac and Rei go to his room, and followed him out, wondering what the hell was going on.

Shinji took this time to read the letter Drac had given him.

Sorry, Shinji, but I couldn't get you the job. If I tried to convince them any further, I'll have to start worrying about my own neck. Anyway, good luck on your move.

Shinji understood the letter perfectly. The Organization had cut him loose. It had something to do with his moving in with Asuka and Misato again. His presence would endanger everything. He was free of the Organization, so now all he had to do was pilot Eva and go to school.

Asuka came up behind him and snatched up the note. "What's this, Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"I was applying for a job. I didn't get it." Shinji said. Asuka was suspicious.

"You don't need money! NERV supplies you with all the small change you need. Trying to buy a car or something?" Asuka asked.

"No, but if I work at Coney Island, I get free samples." Shinji said with a smile. Asuka laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Shinji, what am I going to do with you?" Askua asked cheerfully.

"Throw me on the ground and ravage me with your affections?" Shinji asked hopefully.

"Hmm… Maybe later. You have stuff to move." Asuka said, as though she were looking forward to said 'later'. Shinji was looking forward to it as well…

End of Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Just when I say that I usually get things out on Friday or Saturday, I get two chapters finished in one weekend! It's annoying, isn't it?

Chapter 12

Yumi awoke slowly, opening her eyes. She was still in Allen's arms, and he was still holding her even though he had fallen asleep. Yumi had decided her feelings for Allen the previous night in the street, but she didn't realize how strongly she felt until now…

Allen had such a terrible past, and yet he was always so calm, cool and confident. His foster parents were killed not even a month ago, and he didn't let her pain show. He was so strong… And yet he was so gentle and kind to her.

Yumi had almost thought that Allen was perfect; too perfect to cry. And when she saw him last night, she was, for some reason, glad that he wasn't. She was glad that he was human, and not some angel sent from above. She was glad that he wasn't some illusion that would fade away at her touch…

Yumi slowly eased from his arms, so as not to awaken him, and was going to make some breakfast. When she looked at the alarm clock, she noticed that it was broken, so she checked the clock in the living room. It was 4:30. They had missed school.

'So much for my perfect attendance record…' Yumi said with a drop of sweat rolling down her head.

Instead of making breakfast, she ordered a pizza. When the delivery guy arrived, she handed him the money and gave him a tip besides. The knock on the door had awakened Allen, and he came to see who it was.

"Good afternoon, Allen. Sleep well?" Yumi asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah…" Allen said with a forced smile. Allen looked down nervously with downcast eyes.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it? What's wrong, Allen? You can tell me." Yumi said, touching his arm lightly. Allen shook it off.

"That's the problem… I told you all my secrets. You don't see me in the same way anymore…" Allen paused sighing heavily. "I just don't want everyone to know about my life. About how bad it was. I don't want to be pitied." Allen said weakly.

"Allen…" Yumi kissed him gently on the forehead, understanding what he was feeling. "Listen to me. That's what I'm here for. I'm your girlfriend. You tell me your problems and I tell you mine. It's not pity. It's being there for each other. That's love…" Yumi blushed at the last part, backing away slightly and blushing.

"Yumi…?" Allen said with a questioning look on his face. She turned her back to him nd tried to hide the crimson coloring appearing.

"I had decided on that night in the street… When we… I…" Yumi said, stumbling over her words and not making them come out the way she wanted them to. Allen smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

"It's okay. You don't have to say it. Not yet." Allen whispered in her ear. She was glad. She was frightened by these new feelings she was having. Allen was in her mind… She couldn't get him out no matter how hard she tried… Even though she didn't.

"Allen…" Yumi said, a tears coming to her eyes. Allen held her closer and began to stroke her hair.

"Shhh… Don't speak… Just relax… We aren't in any rush. But maybe you should call your family…" Allen said in a comforting tone. A faint gleem of a memory flashed in her head as she remembered something really important.

"Oh, no! Mom's coming home at 6! It's 5 now! I have to go, Allen… I'm sorry…" Yumi said with regret.

"I could come meet the family." Allen said with a smile. Yumi gaped.

"Are you MAD!? They'd tear you APART!" Yumi said not exaggerating.

"Drac survived. I'm sure that I can." Allen said with a smirk.

"It's your funeral. By the way, do you know any forms of self-defense?" Yumi asked with a strait face. Allen laughed slightly. Her visage never faltered. Allen swallowed loudly and nodded.

"I am a black belt in Karate, and I have also studied fencing…" Allen said nervously. Yumi nodded.

"It'll be enough. Kensuke got by with only a brown belt in Judo. Strange, I thought Judo was more of a 'use your opponents momentum against him' sort of thing, but Kensuke was making leg sweeps and everything." Yumi said with a shrug. Allen shivered and went out the door. As an afterthought, Yumi grabbed the pizza and followed. She hoped Allen would have as easy of a time as Kensuke had…

***

Shinji was sitting on Asuka's bed, waiting for her to show him the big surprise that she had for him. He found himself staring at her sheets, and her pillows, and her wardrobe…

Shinji's nose began to bleed when she came in with a bottle of Barbecue sauce.

***

Yumi led Allen in and asked him to sit in the living room for a bit. He sat on the couch and fluffed the pillows. He noticed some of the pictures on the walls had Yumi in them. One in particular had a younger Yumi standing with her sister, Cara, two boys, a cat, and her parents. The older one he assumed to be her brother, Rico, but he wasn't sure about the younger one. He was younger than Yumi, and was sitting on Rico's shoulders.

He made a mental note to ask her the next time they were alone. Yumi came down again in a few minutes, only she had changed into her school uniform. 

"Oh no, Allen. You have to stand in the corner. Mother is very particular about that. The children sit on the couch, Mother sits on Dad's lap in the armchair. Sorry." Yumi said, chuckling slightly.

"Fine by me. Any particular way that I am to stand?" Allen asked, standing in the corner." Allen asked sarcastically.

"The army 'At Ease' would be the best, but if you don't want to do that…" Yumi rolled her eyes. Yumi's face turned serious as she walked up to him. She took his comb out of his pocket and began to fiddle with his hair.

"Hey! I like my hair style!" Allen complained. He noticed Cara and Rico poke their heads from around the corner.

"You're the one that wanted to meet the family! Now stand up strait. Don't slouch. And PLEEEEEEEEEASE do NOT lean against the wall! Mother hates that." Yumi instructed finishing with his hair, and moving on to his collar.

"But…" Allen tried to break in, but was washed away by the wave of instructions.

"Speak only when spoken to. When I make your presence known, you will bow, introduce yourself, and thank her for her hospitality. When she talks to you, maintain eye contact and use no vulgar language." Yumi pulled up his pants, and began to tuck it in. He heard Cara and Rico chuckling in the background.

"Hey, Yumi, I can do it my…!" Allen tried to say.

"If she invites you to dinner, respectively decline and, if she insists, then you may accept. Silverware will be set out, but use the chopsticks and the spoon only. The knife and fork are only there only for show. Do not take more than you can eat, but don't eat fewer than two plates of food. And above all, DO NOT MAKE ANY RUDE NOISES AT THE TABLE!" Yumi said with importance.

"…" Allen said purposefully. Cara and Rico began to laugh out loud, drawing Yumi's attention.

"Hey, guys! What's so funny?" Yumi asked.

"Nothing!" They said in unison, taking a seat on the couch in order of age, Yumi closest to Allen. Allen started to lean against the wall, but a loud clearing of Yumi's throat prevented it, so he began to look at the pictures again. Allen felt something bat at his leg, so he bent down to see what it was.

A cat had dove from behind a plant to swat at his legs before diving behind the plant again. Allen smiled broadly and made a clicking sound with his teeth. The cat noticed a spot of nothing on the floor, and pounced on it. It lost interest in the nothingness, so he walked over to Allen's outstretched hand, and began to sniff.

After several minutes of this, the cat began to nudge Allen's hand lightly, to which he began to pet the cat gently on the back. The three siblings on the couch were awestruck. Allen looked up from the cat to see this. The cat took offense, and began to swat him again. Allen immediately began to scratch the cats ear, causing it to emit a soft purr.

"Wow…" Cara said.

"That cat hates everyone but Mom, Yumi and Drac…" Rico said.

"I guess I have made a good choice in a boyfriend, then." Yumi said, a faint smirk appearing on her lips. The cat, noticing that no one was paying attention, took this time to jump onto Allen's shoulders. Not on one shoulder, but on both so that it makes it impossible to keep your head up, making it closer to lying on your neck.

Allen immediately went stiff, for any movement would cause the cat to go flying off his back, making a very discontented kitty. Instead of getting off like Allen thought he would do, he decided that it was a nice place to sit, so he curled around his neck and took a nap. Everyone in the room sweatdropped.

As luck would have it, this was the exact time Yumi's parents entered the room. 

"Catherine." Said Yumi's mother. The cat perked her head up and, seeing her favorite person, jumped off Allen's neck. When cats jump off things, they generally use their claws to get a firm grip on the ground. Allen's neck was bleeding rather badly. Yumi quickly rushed to the kitchen and came back with a large bandage.

"You okay?" Yumi asked as she put the bandage on his wound tenderly.

"Yeah. Thanks." Allen said, wincing slightly. Allen stood up strait in the corner he was instructed, and Yumi returned to her seat. Yumi's father sat down in the armchair, and Yumi's mother sat on his lap. Seeing an open lap, the cat jumped on her lap.

"Welcome home, Mother." The three children said in unison. Yumi's mother rolled her eyes and then turned her attention to Allen.

"What's your name, sir?" She asked sweetly. Allen had forgotten all the things Yumi had told him to do through the portion of blood loss.

"I'm Tashiama Allen. Nice to meet you, ma'am." He said, displaying a smile. Yumi cleared her throat loudly. "What?" Allen said defensively. Yumi's mother giggled and shook her head.

"It's nothing. The children just seem to have this obsession with some ritual whenever I come home. I believe that you have just ruined it for them." Yumi's mother said mockingly. All three children fumed. "Yumi, be a dear and bring a chair in from the kitchen for our guest. I'm sure that he doesn't want to be standing up the whole time." Yumi stood, bowed, and ran off to the kitchen. Yumi's Mother's eyes rolled again. When Yumi came back, she set the chair next to the couch, right next to her.

Allen took a seat in the chair, and Yumi immediately reached out to hold his hand. Allen took note that Yumi's mother saw this, and shifted in her position slightly, causing Catherine to be expelled from her lap. The kitty, being thrown off a lap, searched for a more inviting lap, and she never sat on laps that were sitting on the couch, so she decided to sit on the only lap available.

Allen began to pet Catherine gently, sometimes running a hand across her cheek. This caused the feline to purr, and nudge back. This baffled everyone in the room.

"We can't make heads or tails of it." Cara said.

"She was doing this before." Rico said.

"You know what I have to say on this subject…" Yumi smiled confidently. Allen looked at Yumi with a sour look, then quickly paid attention to the cat again.

"Hmm…" Yumi's mother and father said in unison. The cat realizing that too many people were paying attention to her, decided that it was time to leave.

"I think Catherine has decided that it's okay." Yumi's father said.

"What's okay?" Yumi's mother asked.

"Well, Allen is Yumi's Boyfriend. Couldn't you tell?" Yumi's father said.

"I could tell, but I just wanted to make sure we were talking about the same thing." Yumi's mother said.

"I see." Yumi's father said, concealing a smirk.

"You don't think that I could tell." Yumi's mother said, crossing her arms.

"I didn't say that." Yumi's father said defensively.

"You didn't say it, but you thought it." Yumi's mother accused.

"I would never." Yumi's father said innocently.

"That's good." Yumi's mother said, raising her nose in the air. The phone rang in the kitchen, and Allen stood up.

"I'll get it. I'll be right back." Allen said before jumping out of the room.

"It's meet-the-parents-idis." Cara stated.

"He ran out of here like a bat out of hell." Rico commented

"Most likely." Yumi agreed.

Allen picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Allen?"

"Who is this?"

"Wrong number. Sorry."

"Dad?"

Click.

The phone fell to the floor with a loud thud.

***

"Come on, Dracun! It'll be fun!" Rei said cheerily. Drac shook his head.

"No, it won't. And I can't play the ocarina!" Drac said, frightened.

"You can learn! It'll be fun!" Rei pouted.

"I'm sorry, Rei, but I'm just not one of those people! I can't do it!" Drac complained.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Rei asked, using her sparkling eyes an adorable lower lip. Drac sighed heavily and nodded in defeat. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Rei hugged him tightly and kissed him .

"You realize that we don't even HAVE an ocarina…" Drac pointed out.

"You'll buy one!" Rei cheered. Rei dragged him off without telling him where he was going. Out of all the words rifling through his head right now, the chief among them was the word 'henpecked'.

***

"You know, Shinji, at first I thought that you had PROBLEMS with your imagination, but now I think you have too active of one. Either that, or you're a hentai." Asuka said, biting into one of her pork rib sandwich. Shinji smiled evilly.

"Oh, I'm a hentai alright. Just yesterday I was going through your underwear drawer and stealing your panties. I was also taking pictures of you in the shower." Shinji said mischievously.

"Oh, Shinji. You should know that if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask." Asuka said innocently. Shinji's nose began to bleed again. "You are going to die of blood loss if you keep this up." Asuka pointed out.

"Asuka, you shouldn't offer such things to a hentai like me." Shinji challenged. Asuka walked over to where Shinji was sitting, sat on his lap, and gave him a long, succulent kiss. Afterwards, she wrote a note, left it on his lap, and headed to her room.

Shinji read the note.

Bring the BBQ sauce. ;-)

***

"What's wrong, Allen?" Yumi asked after dinner.

"It's nothing." Allen said when obviously it wasn't.

"Allen, We went over this before. You can tell me these things." Yumi said comfortingly.

"It's nothing. I thought I heard someone on the phone that I once knew. That is all." Allen said, looking down at his shoes. Yumi instantly knew what had happened. Either Brian or Greg had called.

"Who?" Yumi asked, pressing him for information.

"It… It's nothing, Yumi. I'd prefer not to talk about it." Allen said, sitting on her bed and putting his head in his hands. Yumi sat down next to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Okay, Allen. I…" Just then, Allen's cell phone rang. This meant only one thing. "MOM! GET EVERYONE TO THE SHELTER!" Yumi shouted into the hall.

"What's wrong, honey?" Yumi's mother asked worriedly.

"Allen's on call." Yumi said, running past her to get everyone else. Yumi's mother stopped her.

"What do you mean, 'on call'?" Her mother asked.

"You didn't know? Allen's an Eva pilot." Yumi said. Yumi's mother gaped and stared at Allen, who was listening to the automated message. He closed his cell phone and stood.

"Well?" Yumi asked. Allen sighed.

"It'll be here in 5 minutes. I won't make it to NERV in time." Allen said, depressed.

"I'll drive you." Yumi's mother offered.

"That would be much appreciated. Let's go quickly." Allen said, not rudely, but hurriedly.

"Okay. Yumi, you tell your father to get everyone to the shelter. I'll start the car." Everyone ran their separate directions, leaving Allen to wonder about what was going on.

***

"Pilot status!" Misato called. Two women entered the room that she had never seen before

"All pilots are present. Allen was brought here by Mrs. Kanashimi and her daughter, Yumi." Maya said. "Shinji and Asuka arrived here covered with Barbecue sauce, but were otherwise okay."

"Barbecue sauce?" Misato asked with puzzlement. Maya just shrugged. "I'll ask them about it later."

"Several minutes afterwards, Rei arrived here with Drac." Maya reported.

"Wasn't Drac dead?" Misato asked, shocked.

"He was, but he's alive again. And he's dyed his hair blue." Maya said. Misato nodded, knowing exactly why Drac was alive.

"Do we have visual of the angel?" Misato asked, straitening her jacket.

"All aircraft approaching that sector immediately crash. We can't get a visual until it is in range of Toyko-3's cameras. It will arrive in 1 minute." Maya paused. "The pilots are in their entry plugs."

"Okay. We're gonna make a V-defense and force him away from the city. Shinji! Asuka!"

"Hai!" They said in unison.

"You take the left side of the angel. Rei! Drac!"

"Hai!" Rei said.

"What?" Drac said, looking absently. Misato sighed heavily.

"You take the right side of the angel. Allen, that leaves you with the center."

"Alright." Allen said, with a concerned look on his face.

"Be careful, Allen!" Yumi shouted from across the room. Allen smiled slightly and focused on the mission.

"Visual confirmation. It's… A lion made of rock?" Maya asked questioningly. Maya put it on the main screen. In the distance, a lion made of solid granite appeared from the distance. As it approached, birds in the sky fell to the ground.

"It has some form of super gravity field around it! It's AT-field is immense!" Maya cried. Misato decided to waste no more time.

"Evas launch!" Misato cried, watching as the angel pulled down mountains with its power.

End of Chapter 12


	13. Chapter 13

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I'm sort of feeling down because I haven't gotten a review since Chapter 8…

Is it because no one's reading it? Is it because it's so bad that no one wants to associate their name with it?

Is it because they read the first reviews and decided that it sucked major portions of ass?

You can tell that I'm rather paranoid about my writing style, can't you?

Chapter 13

(Ooooo! How unlucky!)

"Pilot status!" Misato called. Two women entered the room that she had never seen before

"All pilots are present. Allen was brought here by Mrs. Kanashimi and her daughter, Yumi." Maya said. "Shinji and Asuka arrived here covered with Barbecue sauce, but were otherwise okay."

"Barbecue sauce?" Misato asked with puzzlement. Maya just shrugged. "I'll ask them about it later."

"Several minutes afterwards, Rei arrived here with Drac." Maya reported.

"Wasn't Drac dead?" Misato asked, shocked.

"He was, but he's alive again. And he's dyed his hair blue." Maya said. Misato nodded, knowing exactly why Drac was alive.

"Do we have visual of the angel?" Misato asked, straitening her jacket.

"All aircraft approaching that sector immediately crash. We can't get a visual until it is in range of Toyko-3's cameras. It will arrive in 1 minute." Maya paused. "The pilots are in their entry plugs."

"Okay. We're gonna make a V-defense and force him away from the city. Shinji! Asuka!"

"Hai!" They said in unison.

"You take the left side of the angel. Rei! Drac!"

"Hai!" Rei said.

"What?" Drac said, looking absently. Misato sighed heavily.

"You take the right side of the angel. Allen, that leaves you with the center."

"Alright." Allen said, with a concerned look on his face.

"Be careful, Allen!" Yumi shouted from across the room. Allen smiled slightly and focused on the mission.

"Visual confirmation. It's… A lion made of rock?" Maya asked questioningly. Maya put it on the main screen. In the distance, a lion made of solid granite appeared from the distance. As it approached, birds in the sky fell to the ground.

"It has some form of super gravity field around it! It's AT-field is immense!" Maya cried. Misato decided to waste no more time.

"Evas launch!" Misato cried, watching as the angel pulled down mountains with its power.

***

Gendo sat in his chair, a smile spreading across his face.

"I know what you're thinking. Using Drac at this point and time is not necessary. If he becomes unusable, it will destroy our plans." Fuuyutski commented.

"Your objection is noted." Gendo said in a level voice. Fuuyutski sighed and continued to look at the screen.

***

The five Evas stood as per orders, readying for the oncoming onslaught. All had gone silent; not even a bird chirped out to break the monotonous null of sound.

"Like the calm before the storm, eh, guys?" Drac called over the comm. link.

"Let's just take care of this and go home." Allen said crossly.

"Who says you'll make it home? Angel fights CAN be pretty tough, you know." Drac said, voice lined with challenge.

"Who says YOU'LL make it home? You haven't been in a battle yet either." Allen pointed out.

"I'll make it home because I've already died once, and I'll come back again. And then, I'll rub it in your face!" Drac spat venemously.

"You never had a life to begin with, Drac. That's why it was so easy to come back!" Allen growled.

"Just the response I'd expect from a freak like you." Drac said casually. Allen's eva moved forward.

"WHAT?!? You repeat that! I dare you!" Allen screamed. Drac smiled broadly.

"You are a Freakish little Bastard!" Drac said, evil grin on his face. Misato picked up the mic to shout at them, but Yumi snatched it from her and shouted at them.

"Knock it off, you two!" Yumi screamed.

"Yumi?" They said in sync. They looked at each other. "How do you know Yumi?" They both asked.

"HEY! We'll go over this AFTER the battle! Or haven't you noticed the 5 mile tall monster approaching the city?" Yumi fumed.

"Sorry…" They both said submissively. Yumi nodded and handed the mic back to Misato.

"Here you are." Yumi said politely before standing next to her mother again. Misato blinked a few times before returning her attention to the screen in front of her.

The creature definitely a lion, though it was made of solid rock. "Remember, Children. It has some gravity field around it. It crushes anything within a 500-ft radius. Be careful." Misato reminded.

"Don't worry, Misato! We'll finish this in in less than a minute, and be partying at Drac's house the rest of the night!" Shinji said.

"MY HOUSE? WHY MY HOUSE?!?" Drac screamed.

"It's closest." Shinji said.

"No, it's not! It's a mile farther away than yours!" Drac corrected.

"Your place is bigger." Asuka said.

"How would you know? You've never been there!" Drac fumed at Asuka.

"Sorry, Dracun. Majority rules/" Rei said, supplying a wink.

"Not you too, Rei!" Drac moaned in defeat. "Fine. The party will be at my place."

"Heads up!" Misato cried. "The monster is now 750 ft away from them, and closing!"

The titanic beast rumbled its way towards the city with no sign of stopping.

"Dracan." Gendo said unexpectedly.

"Y, Yes sir?" Drac said with a stutter.

"You will it alone." Gendo stated simply.

"WHAT?!?" Shinji screamed.

"NO WAY!!" Rei cried.

"Sir, I strongly advise you against these orders!" Misato gritted her teeth, showing great restraint.

"Your objection is noted, Major Katsuragi." Gendo said before continuing to order Drac. "I asked you if you could do it again. This is when you prove your words, Dracan." Gendo fell silent, looking on Drac expectantly.

Drac's face became hard and determined as his Eva rushed full forward into the fray. Rei's face was blackened with horror and worry as he went to face his foe alone.

***

Drac readied himself for battle. He was vaguely aware of the smal sync counter that was skyrocketing, but he charged at the Angel, progressive knife in hand. For some reason, he found himself thinking about his time spent with Rei.

She always had a smile that let everyone know that the world was a beautiful place. Her Eyes almost always sparkled with some unknown passion, and her hair always flowed like a pure stream from heaven. When she laughed, it was as though the world was there solely for that purpose and, when she cried, it appeared that the world wept for her.

'Rei is perfect in every way… And for some reason, I feel as though I will never see her again…'

Drac stopped when the Gravity field forced him down, nearly crushing him. He could almost hear the Eva's outer armor buckling from the force. Drac continued to move towards it, charging his enemy with renewed vigor. The mammoth beast brought up its left paw and smashed the Eva aside as though it were a rag doll.

"DRAAAAAAAAAC!" he heard Rei call before he drifted out of consciousness.

***

"MY GOD! His sync rate has reached 350! That's inhuman!" Ritsuko cried. "It's still climbing!"

The Eva stood up, oblivious to the gravity field around it, and charged at it, not even bothering to pick up its prog knife.

"Eva unit 05 was the first of a new breed of Angel." Gendo said, informing Misato of this fact.

"What?" Misato asked, questioningly.

The eva jumped high into the air and, amazingly, stayed there.

"What the HELL? That thing can fly?!?" Misato cried.

"Unit 05 was built in with anti-gravitational devices, enabling it to fly, as well as…" Gendo paused as panels burst from the side of the eva, showing things similar to cannons. "…Built in weaponry."

Balls of energy launched from the eva at a lightning fast pace, all hitting the angel square in the center of the forehead. Deciding that mere energy blasts weren't enough, the Eva created another means of attacking.

It formed a sword of pure energy in its hand.

"Drac…?" Rei asked fearfully.

The eva, with one swift dive, sliced the angel in two, then four, then eight, until it was unrecognizable as it's original shape. The core, being sliced into many portions as well, exploded with such force as to throw the other Eva pilots backwards.

"DRAC!" Rei cried, bringing her eva to it's feet and charging into the heart of the smoke remaining.

"That explosion had the force of five N2 Mines, and he was at the core of it. I doubt that the eva survived." Ritsuko said, downcast. Rei cried out her disbelief, standing on the edge of the smoke and being driven away by the extreme heat.

"Drac… I lost you once… I can't bear to lose you again…" Rei said quietly, tears mixing with the LCL. As the smoke cleared away, there was nothing but decimation.

A large crater, slowly filling with water, signified the place where the angel had been. Nothing was left…

Except one lone Eva, hovering in the center of the pool, unscathed.

"My God…" Misato whispered reverently. Gendo's lips bent up slightly in a sinister smile.

"I doubt he can hear you in this World of the Damned, Misato." Came a small voice, barely echoed from inside unit 05

"Drac…?" Rei gasped, shocked by Drac's words.

"We've lost contact with the pilot!" Maya screamed.

"What do you mean, Maya?" Ritsuko asked hastily.

"He's gone! He is no longer in the plug!" Maya shouted. Misato realized what had happened. The same thing had happened to Shinji when his sync ratio boosted above 400 ever so long ago.

***

"You mean…" Rei said, eyes wide with disbelief and fear. Misato hated to be the barer of bad news, especially with Rei, who was so new to emotion. Rei fell to her knees by the plug, letting her hands gently touch the side.

"I'm sorry, Rei. But don't worry. He'll be just fine." Misato reassured her. Rei began to shake uncontrollably, as she curled herself into a ball. "Rei?" Misato asked, concerned.

"Just leave me alone… I want to stay here…" Rei whispered, barely audible. Misato began to protest, but then decided against it, for nothing would remove Rei from that spot without severe physical force.

"Okay, Rei. I'll bring something up for you to eat." Misato said comforting. It was days like these that made Misato regret giving up drinking.

***

"Well, I think you have a very poor choice of friends." Allen said indignantly. Yumi smacked him across the back of the head.

"Drac could die, and all you're doing is badmouthing him behind his back!" Yumi growled.

"That's just because I CAN'T say it to his face!" Allen said irritably.

"Well, Drac is my best friend! Like it, or we're through!" Yumi fumed. Allen sighed, and looked away from her.

"I can't like it, Yumi. The best I can do is tolerate him." Allen said before walking out of sight.

"And the married couple have their first argument." Asuka stated without tact.

"Do not test me, Second Child. I am extremely peeved right now, and I am not up to the imminent rant you are about to give." Yumi said distinctly.

"Oh, I'm not here to taunt you, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just here to see that you don't get hurt." Asuka said blatantly. Yumi raised an eyebrow. "Tashiama Allen is known to be a very loose individual, if you know what I mean."

"What do you mean?" Yumi asked.

"He forces himself upon women. That is usually called a rapist." Asuka said.

"Allen would do no such thing!" Yumi defended him.

"He would and he did! To me! If Shinji hadn't been there—" Asuka broke off before finishing the phrase. She looked at her feet and turned around. "Just be careful. You seem like a nice girl. I don't want any other nice girls getting hurt." Asuka walked away, not looking back on the conversation.

"Don't worry about her, Yumi." Shinji said from behind her. Yumi, not even knowing he was there, jumped a few inches off the ground.

"Shinji… You startled me… What did you say again?" Yumi asked.

"I said for you not to worry about what Asuka said. I can tell you feel a great deal of love for Allen. I'm not saying that he's a great person, or that he isn't what Asuka said he is. All I'm saying is this. If he makes you happy, and you don't care about his flaws, then go for it." Shinji said calmly.

"Thank you, Shinji… So Asuka said that Allen would try to rape me, eh? Well, you can't rape the willing." Yumi said before walking away, leaving Shinji gaping.

***

"Ah, Major Katsuragi! I haven't seen you around these halls since… The lord knows when! What brings you to the House of God?" Pastor Resit asked, a broad smile on his face.

"I… I just came to… Yeah…" Misato said, stumbling over her words and fiddling with her cross.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Major. I was a little enthusiastic wasn't I? I'm sorry about that… It's just that… People are loosing their faith. The only consistent member I have at this chapel is Dracan Omoni. Very few people worship the Lord anymore." The pastor said, slightly depressed.

"I think that the Angels are taking their faith from them." Misato said with sadness.

"And yet, you hold your faith?" He asked, casting a questioning glance in her direction

"Yes… Though it is hard to walk in God's path when you are fighting Angels." Misato said with a sickly smile.

"Maybe God has sent you down that path for a reason. God has a reason for everything. God has set your path for you to see, Miss Katsuragi. You must choose whether or not to take the righteous path." The pastor said grandly before exiting the main hall.

Misato sat down in the front pew and began to apply her makeup. Afterwards, she withdrew a hymnal and scanned through the pages absently. A man sat next to her quietly and picked out a Bible to read. Misato looked up slightly and recognized him as Kaji.

"Hello, Kaji. How are you today?" Misato asked as though she were unconcerned.

"As well as can be expected. And yourself?" Kaji asked, relaxed.

"Drac's experienced the same thing Shinji did. He's in the LCL." Misato said casually.

"Are our suspicions confirmed?" Kaji asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If he comes back this time, they will. I noticed that his eyes were fading from his normal blue." Misato said before setting the hymnal back on its stand.

"To red?"

"Yes. It is quite possible. I doubt we will be able to get him back."

"But if you are right, we won't have to worry about it, will we?"

"If I'M right? You're the one who got the files from Brad's Outpost."

"True enough."

"What else did you learn about in those files?"

"A lot about Allen. If Yumi can keep a leash on him, then everything will go according to plan."

"What I'm worried about most is how Rei is going to take this. Drac has already died on her once. I doubt she'll be able to withstand another such loss."

"You should worry about yourself, Major." A voice from behind them called. Misato dove behind the adjacent pew and drew her gun. Kaji, giving Misato a wink, took this time to escape.

"Where'd the other one go?!" A voice cried. Misato looked up to see Gendo with a whole unit of NERV officers.

"Surrender, and you will remain unharmed, Miss Katsuragi." Called Gendo from the entrance of the church. At that moment, Pastor Resit came up from the lower level. A soldier looked at him questioningly, but Gendo shook his head. "It would be wise for you to stay out of this, Father. We are apprehending a criminal."

"I'm a minister. Not a priest. And there will be no bloodshed in the House of God." The pastor said firmly stepping between Misato and Gendo.

"If it comes to that, then it does. I repeat; Stand aside. I will not warn you again." Gendo said in a calm voice.

"You will not shed blood in the House of God!" Pastor Resit shouted with determination. Gendo nodded his head. A soldier pointed and fired. The pastor's eyes grew wide as he fell to the ground. Misato cried out.

"If you surrender, Miss Katsuragi, we can prevent anymore bloodshed. I cannot guarantee the pastor's safety if we resort to a shootout." Gendo said. Misato swore and stood slowly, hands in the air.

"A wise choice. Detain her. Make sure that the Pastor gets medical attention." Gendo ordered, and the soldiers moved. "You are accused of giving away top secret data, Miss Katsuragi. You will be in jail a long time."

A guard stood by her, took the gun from her, and pushed her against the wall. Misato looked at the Pastor with sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said before being handcuffed and hauled away.

End of Chapter 13


	14. Chapter 14

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

There's a line in here that I picked up from one of my friends. She is starting to get clingy to her boyfriend… Try to guess which line it is! :D

Chapter 14

"Miss Katsuragi? You have visitors." Came a voice that echoed in the pitch blackness of her cell. She looked up slightly, seeing the sliver of light that signified the door. It swung open abruptly, blinding her temporarily. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she recognized the forms of Asuka and Shinji waking up to her.

"Hey, kids." Misato said halfheartedly, attempting to stand.

"Hi, Misato. So…" Asuka surveyed the surroundings. "I doubt you're in here because you got caught drinking and driving." Asuka said with a smile, offering a hand to help her up. Misato took it, and pulled herself off the floor.

"I wish it were that simple. NERV would post the bail and get me out if it were only that." Misato sighed heavily. "I was… Giving information to an outside source. NERV takes this as Treason, and now I'm in here for Life or, possibly, Death." Misato said with a shrug and a half smile.

"If they give you the death sentence, we'll just refuse to pilot or Evas. Right, Asuka?" Shinji said with a grin. Asuka gave a brief nod, running a finger across one of the walls before gagging with disgust.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEW! Do they EVER clean in here?!? I'll have to wash my hand for a week strait just to get it off!" Asuka bellowed. Shinji snickered quietly. "Something funny, Third Child?" Asuka growled menacingly.

"No. Why would something be funny? I wasn't laughing." Shinji said with a perfectly strait face. Asuka shook her head and resumed conversation with Misato.

"What kind of food do they serve you here, anyway? If their kitchen is even half as dirty as this place, you'd starve for fear of getting salmonella." Asuka said with a sneer.

"They feed me all sorts of unidentifiable foods. Most of them I'm afraid that they'll eat me before I eat them." Misato said, not a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Asuka let a small, forced laugh escape her lips.

"Anyway Misato, are you going to give us any details?" Shinji asked politely.

"On what?" Misato queried.

"On who you were giving the info to." Shinji said. Misato looked at Asuka nervously.

"I'd tell you, Shinji, but… Asuka, could you step out in the hall for a few minutes?" Misato asked sweetly. Asuka fumed and stormed out of the cell, all the while complaining about how abused she was and how everyone always leaves her out of the loop.

"Well?" Shinji asked her after the Cell door closed with a dull thud.

"I was Informing Kaji about an interesting little tidbit of information that I picked up on Ritsuko's computer while she wasn't looking. It turns out that… Drac is… You know… Like Rei."

"What do you mean 'like Rei'?" Shinji asked, a look of confusion spreading across his face.

"Drac is a clone. I have also found that somewhere, not in NERV, there is a tank filled with other clones of Drac, like the one that Rei has." Misato said quietly. Shinji reared back in shock.

"A… A clone?" Shinji stammered.

"That's right. This is the second Drac. And I doubt they'll be able to take him out of the plug, so this will be the Third." Misato said in a whisper.

"That's why you're gonna die then. To point out a fact that they would have found out in a few days anyway." Shinji said darkly.

"Actually, all they needed was confirmation. They already knew, but they needed to be sure." Misato corrected.

"If I ever see Brad again, I'm going to kill him." Shinji said in a perfectly logical tone of voice.

"Why are you getting so worked up over this? It's not like I'm going to die. I'm too important to you guys for that. Like you said. They know that if I am executed, you guys won't pilot your evas." Misato said reassuringly.

"Yeah…" Shinji said, scratching the back of his head. "It still makes me mad though." Misato nodded slightly, building up courage to ask Shinji a favor.

"Shinji, I want you to tell Asuka about Kaji." Misato said abruptly, causing Shinji to jump back.

"WHAT?!? Are you INSANE?!? Asuka would be furious to find out that he's been alive all this time! And she doesn't believe in the phrase, 'Don't shoot the messenger'!" Shinji said, terrified of the thought.

"She won't shoot you. Please? This is something ordered from above, and I couldn't do it before I was caught. Could you do it for me?" Misato asked in a pleading tone.

"Why would Brad want that?" Shinji asked, confused.

"That's classified. You know that Shinji. You're not in the Organization anymore." Misato said.

"Yeah, Yeah. I know. I'll do it for you." Shinji said reluctantly.

"Just as a side thought, how had is it to get Barbecue Sauce out of skin?" Misato asked innocently. Shinji shrugged, not registering the question's intent.

"It's really hard. Especially when Asuka says that you can't use anything but your tongue—" Shinji stopped mid-sentence, and began to turn two shades redder than Asuka's hair. "Er… Um.. that is…" Shinji stammered, not believing the words that had come from his mouth.

"Hmm… That's what I thought. One more thing before you go, this is something that I'm not sure if you know yet." Misato said, poking him in the arm.

"Er… What's that, M-Misato?" Shinji said, still recovering from his embarrassment.

"The UN has set up a new SEELE to replace the old, corrupted one." Misato said.

"Really?" Shinji asked, his abashment forgotten.

"Yes. And the Head of the organization just happens to be a man named Brian Thomas." Misato said with a broad grin.

***

Ritsuko exited the elevator and headed in the direction of her office. Another pointless report to Commander Ikari had occurred, and she was becoming severely irked by the monotony of it all. As she put the key in the door to her office, she noticed that it was already unlocked.

"That's funny… I could have sworn that I had locked it…" Ritsuko said to herself, opening the door. Sitting in her chair was none other than Bradley Thomas, feet lounging on her desk.

"Hello, Rit-chan. How are things?" Bradley asked warmly. Ritsuko sighed heavily and shrugged, walking over to her desk and tipping the chair backwards, immediately removing Bradley from it.

"Please do not sit in my chair." Ritsuko said, turning on her computer. Brad stood up, dusted his pants, and sat on her desk.

"Ritsuko, I came here with a proposition for you." Brad said with purpose.

"Good for you." Ritsuko said as she began typing.

"Ritsuko, will you at leat listen to what I have to say—?" Brad began.

"No, because it's probably going to be some come-on line or you asking me out to dinner. I thought that I made it clear that I'm not interested right now, and that I wanted you to go away. Obviously I haven't made it clear enough." Ritsuko spat, not taking her eyes away from the computer.

"This has nothing to do with my feelings about you." Brad said adamantly. Ritsuko stopped typing, and turned to him.

"Yes, it does. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a report to type out." Ritsuko said before turning back to the monitor, to which she found that Brad had turned it off.

"Listen to my offer before you shun me, Ritsuko. This could be the very most important decision that you have ever made. Choose carefully." Brad said, slightly irritated.

"What do you want, Brad?" Ritsuko said in an exasperated voice.

"Are you planning on staying under Gendo's wing for the rest of your life?" Brad asked.

"For the most part, yes." Ritsuko said, turning pack to her computer. Brad sighed heavily, expressing his irritation. "Continue." Ritsuko said reluctantly, crossing her legs.

"I'll be brief. I have a nice little company set up on the outskirts of Tokyo-3, and it has a nicely equipped Science facility."

"In other words, you want me out of Gendo's wing and under yours. Tempting, but no. That's quite alright, Brad." Ritsuko said, turning back to her computer. Brad immediately put his fist through the monitor, and sent the remaining pieces to the floor. Ritsuko was surprised that he didn't die of electrocution.

"You have no IDEA what is going on, Rit-chan! Gendo hasn't even told you to what extent this whole battle goes! When he sees a tool, he uses it and discards it when it is no longer useful. And your usefulness, in his eyes, is almost up." Brad yelled.

"So? What are you suggesting? That I go with you to YOUR facility and work for YOU? And what will you do after my usefulness as a scientist fades away? Take me on as your lover? Face it, Brad. I don't love you, and I never will. You never stood a chance." Ritsuko said firmly, not raising her voice. Brad looked down and let out a long, depressed sigh before standing up.

"You will regret that choice, Ritsuko." Brad said before leaving the room with a dark look on his face. Ritsuko knew that she should have taken him up on his offer, but she didn't. And she knew why he didn't stand a chance in her heart.

Her heart was dominated by an unrequited love, and she knew that he would discard her when he was through with her usefulness. She didn't even care.

Realizing that she wouldn't finish her report today, she left her office and mad sure to lock it before leaving again, head hung in shame.

***

Pastor Resit finished his prayer for his departed brother's soul before standing again. The church always gave off a bright aura of calm for him, and he needed it now more than ever with his brother dead. His brother had strayed from the path that God had set for him, and now he was dead.

"You are wrong, Pastor Resit. Drew did NOT stray from God's path. He merely took a different route to reach the same destination. Your brother is in heaven now, to where all God's Children are hoped to arrive." A voice said behind him. Pastor Resit turned around slowly to see a vision that startled him beyond words.

An angel, clad in a holy robe, stood before him, wings outstretched wide. Pastor Resit fell to his knees and began to pray.

"Pastor Resit, I have been sent by God to guide you down the righteous path. For you alone of God's faithful, are not following it." The angel said, closing his wings to his back.

"What must I do?" Pastor Resit said, awe-struck.

"There are two children in this world of the Damned that need guidance. They have just lost their Guardian to the clutches of Hell and, though she will soon escape, she will not be able to return to them. You must guide these children to see the light. You must show them the word of God. You must make them believers." The angel said, wings fully hidden.

"What of the church? How will I maintain it?" Pastor Resit asked, not rising his head to look at this holy being.

"I was sent here to take your place, and I will take care of your church while you are gone, but you must not let other men know who I am."

"As you wish." Pastor Resit stood, leaving the church, knowing exactly who he was sent to save.

***

"This is an unexpected turn of events, Commander. Should we refuse?" Fuuyutski asked. Gendo shook his head.

"It will be… Amusing to see the good father try to convert them." Gendo said with a smirk.

"I believe that he is a pastor. Not a priest." Fuuyutski corrected.

"We will let Pastor Resit be their Guardian. We will see what he does. If he becomes a problem, we can always remove him." Gendo said calmly.

***

"I've lived with this guy for two days, and I'm already sick of him!" Asuka whined. "I don't care about this religious crap, and he's trying to drill it into my skull!"

"A-Asuka, m-maybe you should calm down a little…" Shinji stammered, and was talked over.

"Next he'll be saying that we can't live in the same house until we're married! OOH! I dare him to say it! I dare him! I will break his nose!" Asuka bellowed.

"He's just doing what he thinks is right, Asuka." Shinji said with calm in his voice, stopping Asuka's rant. Asuka nodded with acceptance.

"But does he have to do it in such an asinine manner? Jeez!" Asuka said before sitting down on her bed with a flop. Shinji sat down beside her and took her hand in an attempt to comfort her. He wasn't about to tell her that he was beginning to believe in it.

***

"Alright, Pastor. I'm listening. Give me a reason to believe in God, and I will." Shinji said blatantly.

"If you don't, you'll go to Hell." Pastor Resit said with a grin. Shinji shook his head.

"But in order to believe in Hell, I'd have to believe in Heaven too. To believe in Heaven would mean that I'd already have to believe in God. That wouldn't be believing, that would be worshiping God just in case he did exist." Shinji pointed out.

"True enough." Pastor Resit admitted. "How about this? God creates all the miracles around us. Surely you've seen at least one good thing happen with no explanation." The pastor searched.

"Nope. Not a one." Shinji said truthfully.

"What about your relationship with Asuka?" Pastor Resit inquired.

"What about it?" Shinji asked, curious.

"I've been around you long enough to tell what you two are like. The two of you getting together in any sort of relationship could not occur by anything short of divine providence." The pastor said with triumph. 

Shinji had to agree.

***

"There is no such thing as God!" Asuka cried out with spite. "If there is a God, then why does he let bad things happen?!"

"To help people down the path on which they must travel." Pastor Resit said calmly.

"That is BULLSHIT! If there is a God, why did he cause so much pain in my life?! Why did he kill Kaji?!? Why did he make a little girl watch her own mother hang herself!?!?!?" Asuka screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What?" Shinji gasped. Asuka burst out of the room in tears. Pastor Resit was about to go after her, but Shinji stopped him. "Please. Let me talk to her." Shinji pleaded. The pastor nodded and retired to her room. Shinji walked up to Asuka's door, took in a deep breath and opened the door.

Asuka was lying on her bed, sobbing and crying uncontrollably. Shinji knelt beside her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." Shinji said soothingly. "You okay?"

"There can't be a God… Not when he made me see that… My mother…" Asuka threw her arms around his neck, and buried her head in his chest. Shinji held her close whispering reassurances, trying to make her stop crying.

"It's okay, Asuka. Don't worry. Everything happens for a reason. Yours just isn't apparent yet, that's all." Shinji said quietly.

"You believe too, don't you, Shinji?" Asuka said quietly once her tears had ceased flowing. Shinji nodded. "Why? How do you know there is a God…?" Asuka asked as though her heart were being ripped out.

"I… I know there is a God… Because… Because… He gave me you." Shinji whispered in her ear, his voice filled with love. Asuka smiled and flipped him lightly in the head with her thumb and forefinger.

"Baka." Asuka said before resting her head on his chest again, smiling a peaceful smile. Shinji not only knew that there was a God, he also knew that there were angels, for Asuka must have been sent to him from Heaven.

***

Pastor Resit came to attention by a knock on the door. He stood and opened it, showing Asuka with Shinji standing right behind her.

"I'm not wearing a cross. I've already got a locket to put around my neck, and I don't want to look like an idiot wearing too much jewelry." Asuka muttered before returning to her room. Shinji sighed heavily.

"That's about as good as you're going to get, Pastor." Shinji said. Pastor Resit smiled.

"It's good enough. Good enough." The pastor said, knowing that he had just saved two souls.

***

"Suzuhara Touji. You are, as of now, reinstated to active duty as the Fourth Child. You will be assigned Eva Unit 06, and will fight against angels, should the need arise." Maya reported before giving him a NERV ID. "As well, you should know that we have a new pilot. The Eighth Child has been going to your school for a while, and she says she knows most of the pilots rather well."

"Who is she?" Touji asked curiously.

"Hi, Touji." Came a nervous voice from behind him. Touji immediately froze.

"T-they didn't." Touji stammered.

"Didn't what, Touji?" The girl asked.

"No, this is a dream. NERV wouldn't do that." Touji said, knowing that no amount of hoping would make it false.

"Wouldn't do what?" She asked, being slightly bothered by Touji's awkward behavior. Touji slowly turned around to see Hikari standing in a plug suit. Touji's nose began to bleed rather profusely.

***

"How did the activation tests go?" Gendo asked.

"As well as could be expected. The Two eva pilots synced slightly above average for the first test, but that may be as a result of the new models. The Fourth Child's nose bled every time he looked at The Eighth Child. Nothing as drastic as what happened Touji's last test." Ritsuko reported.

"How many more Evas are ready for pilots?" Gendo asked.

"There is one more eva completed, and another in the last stages of construction. It will not be ready before the eagle." Ritsuko said calmly.

"Will the Tenth Child have enough time to train before the final battle?" Gendo asked.

"There will be plenty of time. She will have at least a month. The Eva will be finished shortly after the eagle attacks." Ritsuko replied.

"Good. Have SEELE send in the Finished eva and try to calm him down." Gendo said.

"I really don't think he's a good choice for eva pilot, sir. He may start shooting things just because it's fun." Ritsuko said with a sweat drop.

"Your objection is noted, Doctor. That will be all." Gendo said, indicating for her to leave.

"And time moves forward without stopping to mourn the casualties on the way." Fuuyutski said after Ritsuko left.

"We will get her back. That I am certain of." Gendo said with determination.

"But will she still love what you have become?" Fuuyutski asked.

To this, Gendo had no answer.

End of Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Chapter 15

Rei had gone home with the promises and assurances that, if she got some sleep, they would attempt to revive Drac the following day. Had Rei been anywhere near rational, she would have realized that they would have done it even IF she didn't go home, but Rei was too far out of it for ANY rational thought.

Asuka had come by every once and awhile to see if she as alright, but the rest of the day was uneventful. Asuka had a look of extreme pity on her face… Asuka was one who felt that pity was an unnecessary emotion; she didn't want it, and she wouldn't give it to anyone else. But maybe she understood how Rei felt at this point.

To lose someone you love would be a devastating thing, and to lose them twice was even worse…

Rei wouldn't be able to handle it if he didn't come back…

She would rather die than live without him…

Ritsuko began the sequence, reassuring Rei, all the while with her fingers crossed. This gave Rei an uneasy feeling…

Rei couldn't remember much of that day. It was so riddled with sadness that she could only make out the emotions, and not the actual events…

Rei's heart began to race as to procedure began…

Rei's heart fell when she heard Ritsuko swear and violently attack the controls with her fingers…

Rei's heart cracked when the liquid came out, Drac not in sight…

Rei raced to the center of the room, tears streaming from her eyes with ultimate sorrow. She remembered crying out with supreme anguish as she ran her hands through the liquid that was once her love, and collapsed with utter despair when she could no longer cry out…

***

"Do you ant to be with me?" A nude Asuka asked him, outstretching his hands. Drac backed away slowly. Her form changed to one of Yumi, asking the same question. Drac didn't understand any of this. He just wanted to go back to Rei…

"Do you want to be with me?" Asked Rei, arms outstretched. Drac nearly went to her, but then hesitated. In the corner of his mind, he could hear a cry of grief emanating through his skull. Rei was somewhere else, and she was hurt.

"Rei?" Drac 'said' though his lips did not move.

***

"Rei?" She heard a minute voice call out her name. She immediately stopped crying and froze. Drac was calling to her...

"Drac… Come back…"Rei 'said', though her lips did not move.

***

"Drac… Come back…" Rei had said. Drac needed no further persuasion. He fought against whatever held him there, defying its will to hold him. Knowing that nothing possessed the power to keep him away from the one he loved…

***

Rei's eyes opened wide in astonishment as Drac's body began to materialize from the ooze, unable to register what was occurring before her. Her hand slowly slipped to his hand and, upon feeling that it was real, and not just an illusion, she drew him to her chest and cried with pure joy. Drac had come back.

Drac had come back for her…

***

'Shinji is such a naive little child. Falling for some words said by some stupid preacher.' Asuka thought, irritated beyond her normal irritation. 'But I don't want to hurt him… He already believes in this crap, and if I tell him that I don't, he'll just get all upset and try to "Save my soul" like Mister Always Does Everything Holy.'

'Or, he may get all moody and depressed, and I don't want that… That's funny… I never used to care about how Shinji felt… Or maybe I did and just didn't know it… I'll just humor him… That's it… What he doesn't know won't hurt him…'

***

"I have nothing to say to him, Cara. Tell him to come back after he's jumped off a cliff, or accepted Drac as my friend." Yumi said indignantly.

"Yumi, what it your problem? There is a good looking guy waiting in your living room and you tell him to commit suicide!" Cara sighed heavily.

"No, he wouldn't be killing himself." Yumi corrected.

"Right. The 50 foot drop would." Cara said, irritated.

"The fall isn't what kills someone. What kills them is the sudden stop at the END of the fall." Yumi corrected again, and Cara responded by giving her the bird.

"Fine. I'LL go out with him. He's SUCH a nice looking boy, after all…" Cara said.

"Oh, come off it, Cara! He's almost half your age!" Cara growled.

"So? Aunt Cara married a man that was ten years older than her." Cara said evilly.

"Oh? And I thought it was just because you were a pedophile. I didn't know it was because you wanted to be as little like Aunt Cara as possible." Yumi teased. Cara stuck out her tongue and headed downstairs to meet Allen.

"Well, Allen, It looks like you have three choices. Jump off a cliff, Accept Drac as her friend, or forget about her." Cara said to him. Allen scowled slightly, and turned his head.

"Where's the nearest cliff?" Allen asked with disdain.

"You are both as stubborn as a mule! Listen, just humor her! Just SAY that you don't mind Drac! It doesn't matter if you mean it or not!" Cara said, frustrated.

"No. I won't lie to her. The man insulted me. I cannot bare people who insult others for no reason." Allen said, eyes partially closed, looking forward with supreme calm. "And I do not lie to those I care about. It causes them to lose their trust in me."

"Whatever. Just go away." Cara said, fuming before storming into her room.

***

"I want to be with her."

"You can not go there! You're… You just can not! You do not have the strength to get there!"

"Then I will ask Him."

"WHAT?!? You would DARE to bother Him with something so trivial?!?"

"Shut up, John. I don't care about anything else but her."

"But… He might get angry! He might kill you!"

"No, He won't. He will understand."

"You are stubborn, Drew."

"Don't you feel shunned, that you were given a vision and He threw it aside?"

"That was His will, Drew—"

"He took me from the one I love! My heart aches every moment when I can't touch her! It bleeds with sorrow when I can't see her! If this is His divine will, then **_I_** shun **_IT_**!"

"You have gone too far, Drew! Do you truly want to spend eternity away from God's Chosen? Do you truly want to walk the path of Kaoru and Bren?"

"I don't care what path I take, so long as she is on it."

"Blasphemy. Sacrilege. If He does not give you what you wish, you will be condemned under Lucifer. You know that."

"I know."

"Very well. I will speak to Him about this. This is no longer a trivial issue. This involves the soul of an Angel."

"Thank you, John."

"Don't thank me. I wash my hands of the thing. It is a shame, Drew. I was beginning to like you, as well."

***

"I saw it all…" Drac whispered in his whimpering sleep. Rei gently shook him awake from the nightmare. "Rei… Where…?" Drac sat up quickly, and almost fell out of the bed. Rei helped him sit up, despite his attempts to get out of the bed.

"What's wrong, Drac?" Rei asked, pushing him against the bed.

"I… I need to talk to Pastor Resit right away. I…" Drac fell silent.

"Ok, Drac. Just rest. I'll call him. Relax." Rei said soothingly, walking to the phone. "What's his phone number?" Rei asked. Drac told her the number of the church, and she dialed it.

"Hello?"

"Pastor Resit?"

"I am sorry, Child. Pastor Resit no longer resides in this church."

"Oh… Do you know where I can reach him?" The Pastor gave her the phone number, which startled her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, child. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

"No, thank you, sir."

"May the Lord be with you, child"

"Er… Thank you… Bye…" Click.

"Well?" Drac asked, expectantly.

"He's not there… I was given a different number to call, but…"

"But what?"

"But it's the number to Shinji's house."

"Then call it and ask for Pastor Resit."

"Okay, Drac." Rei shrugged and picked up the phone again, dialing Shinji's house.

"Hello? This is Asuka Langley Sohryu. How may I help you?"

"Hi, Asuka!"

"Rei! How's Drac? Obviously fine, or you wouldn't be so cheery."

"Oh, he's doing fine. Listen, I was given your number to call, and Drac insists…"

"What is it?"

"Is Pastor Resit there?"

"Oh. One minute. I'll Check." Rei chuckled slightly at how Asuka was humoring her. When Asuka returned to the phone, she had the tone of utter seriousness throwing Rei off guard. "Yeah. He's coming."

"Hello?" A male voice asked. Rei immediately handed Drac the phone, her face red.

"Pastor Resit?" Drac asked.

"Oh, hello, Drac. How are you today?"

"I need to talk to you privately."

"Drac, all confessions are handled by Pastor Bren from now on…"

"This isn't a confession. I need to talk to you, not your robe."

"Actually, Drac, I am a Pastor. I don't wear a robe. That is what priests wear…"

"Semantics. Just meet me at the church in an hour."

"Well, alright, Drac. But only because it's you."

"Thanks. See ya then."

"Alright. Goodbye, Drac." Click.

"You aren't going anywhere." Rei said, hands on her hips.

"As much as I don't want to say this, Rei, for fear of hurting your feelings, but I don't have time for this. Either you help me get there, or I'll go on my own, but I'd much rather prefer it if you came with me." Drac said in an irritated tone. Rei's eyes grew wide with hurt, and she nodded.

"Okay, Drac… I'll get a wheelchair…" Rei sniffed. Drac immediately regretted his words.

"I'm sorry, Rei… It's just that something big has just happened, and I can't wait for my full recovery." Drac said, touching her arm. Rei nodded.

"I understand…" Rei said, a teary eyed smile on her face. Drac felt miserable, making Rei feel that way, but he needed to talk to the Pastor immediately…

"I'm sorry…" Drac said to air, for Rei had already left to retrieve a wheelchair.

***

"Shinji, I want you to take me out to eat." Asuka had whined. Shinji immediately had complied with her request, and before he knew it, they were sitting in a fancy Chinese restaurant, looking at the menu.

"Why are we here, Asuka? I don't like Chinese…" Shinji complained.

"Well, I do, and you came here because you love me, right?" Asuka pouted. Shinji shrugged and hid behind the menu. Kung-Pow Chicken sounded okay, he figured. The waiter came to the table, and Asuka went overboard…

"I'd like the Teriyaki Beef, the Crab Ragoon, the Cashew Chicken and… An order of Moo Goo Gai Pan! Make that a double order of each!"

A sweat drop slowly rolled down Shinji's head as he ordered a small order of Kung-pow Chicken.

"You digest Chinese food quickly, Shinji. In an hour, you're gonna be hungry again." Asuka said, pigging out on the Crab Ragoon. Halfway through the meal, Asuka lightly kicked him in the calf. Shinji looked up, and saw that she was trying to pass him something under the table, so he took it and looked at it.

Shinji squeaked quietly, blood rushing to his face. He was completely oblivious to Asuka's braying laughter. After they left the restaurant, Shinji confronted her about it.

"You took off your underwear and passed it to me under the table!" Shinji squealed.

"No, I didn't. That was a pair I brought along to freak you out. I'm still wearing my panties. See?" Asuka lifted her skirt. Shinji's nose began to bleed profusely. "You didn't blush at all when you licked the BBQ sauce off me." Asuka protested, pulling her skirt back down.

"YES, I DID! YOU COULDN'T TELL BECAUSE MY FACE WAS COVERED IN BARBECUE SAUCE!" Shinji screamed.

"Hmph. Men usually like to see women naked. You're not gay or anything, are you Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"N-no, but…" Shinji stammered. Asuka sighed heavily.

"Such a boring little boy." Asuka whined.

***

"Rei, could you leave us alone for a bit?" Drac asked politely. Rei nodded and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

"Pastor Resit, what I am about to tell you, you will not believe it, but it is true…" Drac said in broken sentences. "While I was… Out of consciousness… I saw some things. I know them to be true."

"Tell me of your vision, Drac. Tell me." Pastor Resit sat down, interested in Drac's words.

"It's not a vision! It has already happened! God has abandoned us!" Drac yelled. Pastor Resit's face grew soft.

"I know that your life has been hard, Drac, but God would never abandon you…" The pastor said, but was cut off.

"No, not me, us! All of mankind! He took his 144,000 and left, not even bothering to finish the rest of the Revelations!" Drac cried.

"What are you saying, Drac? This is blasphemy!" Pastor Resit corrected him.

"It's not blasphemy if it's true! He left a few devoted souls, 10,000, in hopes that, one day, we would find the light, but, he didn't keep his hopes up! He left heaven for a higher plane, and took his 144,000 with him!"

"When was this? Surely we would have noticed 144,000 people die recently…"

"It happened 15 years ago! He took them and tried to wipe out the rest of us! He did it with Noah! What makes you so sure that he wouldn't do it again?!?"

"Drac, this is the house of GOD…!"

"He left two rebel angels to watch over us, and to try to convert us back to the righteous path! One's name was Kaoru, and the other's was…!"

"Bren." Came a voice from the stairs. The man walked up the stairs, and stood by the two. "Old news, my friend Dracan. Though news that none on earth should know." He said, looking heavenward.

"You. You're one of the Angels." Drac said, astonished. "Why did God give up on us?!?" Drac cried defiantly.

"Man has been tainted. It was tainted before, and God wiped it out. God cannot take such mass death on his conscious again, and thus, he leaves you to your on designs, moving on with the ones who could hope to meet up to his expectations." Drac looked down and began to cry.

"My whole life… The only thing that kept me going…" Drac drew out his cross. "This WRECHED SYMBOL! The symbol of a God that has abandoned us! The only thing that kept me living was the hope that I could fulfil my destiny and proceed to heaven after I die! To be in the presence of God!"

"And now what?" Drac demanded. "Am I damned for my faith? Why did God leave me behind, Bren? Answer me that! What crime have I committed to be condemned to HELL?!?"

"You are here to help Man back to it's rightful path…" Bren continued.

"Which is a lost cause! I am an example of what happens to people who rely on Humankind's good will! I know what I am now! I was told!" Drac yelled.

"You do NOT know what you are! You think you know what you are! You think that you are an abomination! A result of when man tries to play God! But you are NOT! You are so much MORE than that…!"

"No, I am not! Don't lie to me! I've seen the others! Floating in the tube! Smiling at everything! They have no soul! I have no soul!" Drac cried out. Rei gasped as she entered the room in time to here what Drac had said. Pastor Resit and Bren both turned to Rei, about ready to ask her how much she had heard. Drac didn't care. He ran out of the cathedral in a agony filled fury.

Rei knew what he was now… I freak of nature… A thing… A bi-product of man tampering with God's work. An evil thing, for which there was no hope of salvation. So he decided to kill the man who had done this to him. Bradley Thomas must die.

***

"What…?" Rei was about to ask, but stopped in mid-question. 

"This is all that I will say, Rei. He is the same as you. He sees you created with a pure soul, and himself created with none. But he has a soul more pure than most of us… That is all." Bren left the scene quietly.

End of Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I sort of screwed up on the last Chapter, so to anyone who read the Chapter BEFORE I fixed it, the number of God's Chosen is 144,000, not 70,000. ^_^!!

Chapter 16

"Everything's ready. He comes out of the building, we have our sniper take him out. Simple. The fun part is going to be getting back to base." Kaji said, leaning back in his chair. The conference room was filled with the new council members of SEELE, all discussing the new plan of action.

"I know. That's my problem. It's too simple. Not original enough." Harper said, tapping the table gently with his forefinger, signifying his discomfort.

"We don't need a flair or a show for this. This is just an assassination. Nothing fancy about it." Greg said sternly, glaring at Harper.

"I can see his point. If we do this predictably, NERV or NOAH may stop us." Brian Kibby said in defense of his friend.

"I agree. I say, we wait a few more days and see what Drac does. The brainwashing should kick in at any time. It's natural for Drac to be strong. Not only is he a B-type Clone, he's always had a strong mind." Brian Thomas spoke up. "We can rely on Drac. You can be sure of that."

"That's one thing that I don't like, Brian. Haven't we messed the kid up enough?" Misato said, still wearing her prison uniform.

"It couldn't be helped. You know there is more to him than a simple assassination attempt." Brian pointed out.

"For once, I have to agree with Misato on this one, Brian." Kibby spoke up. "If it were up to me, I'd leave the Children out of this completely."

"That isn't an option. We have kept the Children out as long as possible. Touji, Hikari and Kensuke probably won't have to be in this until near the very end. That's all we can do." Mara said sadly.

"You're the last person I'd expect to agree with this, kid. After all, your own daughter—" Harper began.

"My daughter knows what she must do to save man kind—" Mara yelled.

"That's enough, you two!" Brian shouted. "That was bad form, Harper. You don't bring up family."

"Of course you'd set up that rule. What you've done to yours—" Harper glared.

"I said, that's enough!" Brian said, standing. Everyone in the room flinched. Even Michael was somewhat phased.

"I do believe you need to calm down, old friend." Michael said in his smooth calm voice. "Harper wasn't thinking about what he was saying before he said it." Being it an occasion for Mike to say ANYTHING at a meeting, it was taken with respect.

"I'm sorry. Sensitive subject." Harper said casually, getting glares across the room. "What?" Harper smiled innocently.

"Let's move on with the meeting. What does your department have for us, Raich?" Brian turned to her, with expectation.

"They've analyzed the star patterns, and it looks like the Eagle will appear about next week some time." Rachel said, with a quick tone.

"Harper?" Brian asked.

"Eva Unit 09 is ahead of schedule. It should have been finished as of 5:00 this morning." Harper replied casually.

"That's good to hear. Kibby, have your people ship it to NERV pronto." Brian said.

"Already done, boss." Kibby said with confidence.

"Good. Kaji, do you have anything as to the movements of NOAH?" Brian asked.

"Well, Brad is sending a small detachment into NERV and is going to try to destroy MAGI. I was hoping Mike could help me out with that a little. My men are good at finding things out, but not so good at defensive tactics." Kaji replied.

"I'll see what I can do." Michael said with a slight smile.

"That's all, then. Unless," Brian turned to Mara, "There is anything else we need to know about Drac." Mara nodded.

"Drac is having a chemical imbalance in his brain, causing his brainwaves to take on erratic properties. Possibly a sign of faulty brainwashing." Mara informed. "The way we did it was perfectly clean, and yet… He seems to be fighting it. If he keeps this up, it will severely damage his emotions."

"Hmm… I thought that one feeling would be gone after all these years of pain and anguish…" Brian whispered.

"What feeling?" Misato asked, leaning on the table. Brian looked up as though surprised that he had spoken aloud.

"Oh… Well, Drac has always had this feeling of…" Brian squinted. "It's hard to explain. But as a cause of it, he finds the idea of hurting any human being absolutely repulsive." Brian shrugged. "I think it's called faith in humanity." Mara's cellphone rang suddenly, and she answered it. After hanging up, she looked at Brian thoughtfully.

"His brainwaves have stabilized. It appears that something has happened to shatter his 'Faith in Humanity'. It's too bad. Drac was a good kid." Mara said reverently.

"Yes… He was…" Brian said with a slight of melancholy.

"Hey, guys. Don't worry about him." Kaji said with a smirk. "First you were saying that he's strong, and now you're already referring to him in the past tense."

"It's because he's finally learned the truth somehow…" Brian said quietly. Everyone in the room grew solemn, not knowing what was to come.

***

"Oh. Hello, Drac. How's life treating you?" Brad asked, relieved that it wasn't someone more important.

"Life is hell. And yours?" Drac asked sarcastically, as though a foul taste were in his mouth.

"Same here." Brad shrugged, not turning away from his work.

"I have you to thank for my hell, don't I, 'Step-dad'?" Drac asked, masking his supreme rage into a slight annoyance.

"Pretty much, yeah. This is pretty hard. Could you leave me alone? I need to concentrate." Brad waved him off.

"Life is Hell for you also? Well, let me take you away from hell, then." Drac took out his pistol and shot him once in the shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Brad shouted.

"Exactly. You made my life hell. You destroyed my soul, so I'll destroy you." Drac said with a smile, shooting him in the other shoulder.

"You don't know what you're doing, Drac! Once you walk down this path, there's no going back!" Brad shouted, fear etched on his face.

"Funny. Kaoru tells me that you said the exact same thing to yourself before you followed your path of darkness. Well, I am here to free your good soul from the evil mind that dominates it!" Drac began to laugh hysterically as he shot Bradley Thomas in the heart, then in the forehead, ending his life.

But the feeling didn't leave after he was dead. Drac still felt that hate for something. Drac ran back home, trying to forget the hate… Trying to forget everything…

***

Rei saw Drac run down the corridor, then ran after him in pursuit. He left the compound and ran in the direction of his house. Rei couldn't keep up with him, but she knew where he was going…

***

When Drac got home, he couldn't think strait. He put the gun on the table and sat down. He was tired and hungry. Drac decided to make himself a sandwich…

He took out the bread and the meat as well as the lettuce and tomatoes…

As he cut the tomatoes, they leaked out a red juice…

Blood…

Drac experimentally ran the knife across one of his fingers…

Blood…

Drac was about to run the blade across his wrist to test how much blood would appear…

"DRAC! NO!" Someone shouted, running towards him…

Instinctively, he thrust the dagger at the individual, striking her in the stomach…

Rei's eyes widened in disbelief and shock as she felt the dagger pierce her skin. Drac's eyes grew even larger then hers as he recognized who it was that he had hurt.

"rei…?" Drac whispered, barely audible as released the knife and backed away. Rei looked down at the dagger imbedded in her abdomen, and then back up at Drack with a look of puzzlement on her face.

'Why?' Drac heard echo in his mind, over and over again, though Rei had said nothing.

"My God…" Drac whispered before remembering that he couldn't hear him. He kneeled down next to Rei, tears rushing down his face. He grabbed her hand tightly and let out a small whimper, pulling her hand to his face.

***

The pain Rei was feeling was immense as blood began to fill her lungs and flow out of her mouth in a small trickle. Drac had dropped to his knees in a puddle of red liquid flowing from her wound, and he wept uncontrollably. She cared nothing for her physical pain, nor for the fact that Drac had just mortally wounded her.

To see look of utter torment on her love's face hurt her more than anything else. Rei coughed, causing a large pocket of blood to erupt from her mouth. She wanted to reassure him, to make him know that it was alright, but the blood had filled her lungs entirely, making speech impossible. She found it harder and harder to maintain consciousness, as she felt increasingly sick.

A look of enlightenment spread across Drac's face as he stood and stepped over her. Rei rolled over slightly to see what he was going to do. Drac picked a gun off the table and pointed it to his head with his back turned to her.

Rei tried to shout at him to stop, but all that came out was a faint gurgling sound. A loud bang emphasized the launch of the bullet and, milliseconds later, a loud squishing noise signified the fact that Drac's brains had splattered against the wall to his left.

Rei wept even greater and welcomed the darkness to take her…

***

"Drac has succeeded in his operation. After that, we lost all contact with him." Mara reported. "I suggest that Kaji send one of his men to his house to make sure he's alright."

"Good as done." Kaji said, popping out his cellphone. After he as done, the meeting continued. "I sent some of my people in NERV security." Kaji explained.

"Good. Kibby, how's the shipping going?" Brian asked.

"The eva will arrive at NERV headquarters in one hour. Looks like Harper has the easy job now." Kibby grinned slightly.

"Don't worry. We'll find something else for you to do, Harper." Kaji said evilly. Rachel developed a purely innocent smile.

"Maybe he can be head of the Janitorial District." She said.

"Alright, guys. Back on track. First off, what are we going to do with Misato? She can't go back to Japan until this is all over, and by then, we won't have to worry…" Brian said thoughtfully.

"I suggest we make her my personal concubine." Kaji said with a smile. Everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

"I have a solution to that." Michael spoke up. Everyone turned. Mike had spoken two meetings in a row.

"Shoot, Mike." Brian said.

"It's simple, really. Use politics against them. We declare that Misato was giving us information and, if that is treason, then they are declaring us enemies." Michael smiled broadly. Everyone in the room laughed.

"That will work, too!" Brian said with a snort.

"I never would have thought of that!" Mara said through a giggle.

"We'll put the plan into action immediately after the meeting." Brian said. Kaji's phone rang suddenly, so he answered it.

"Hello? Yes. And what did you find?" Kaji grew pale. "Yes. Return to your post…" Kaji hung up the phone.

"What is it, Kaji?" Rachel asked curiously. Kaji grew quiet, not at all knowing how to inform Brian.

***

"Come on, Yumi! Be reasonable!" Allen cried over the phone.

"Not until you give in."

"I said I didn't care if Drac was your friend, didn't I?"

"That's not good enough."

"Yumi… Why are you being like this?"

"Because Drac is my friend, and you hate him."

"I do not HATE him! I just dislike him!"

"I fail to see the difference."

"So does everyone else! God! This isn't important enough, Yumi!"

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't important enough to lose each other over…"

"Will you agree to give Drac a chance?"

"…Fine."

"Alright. Then I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah…"

"Bye."

"Goodbye…"

***

"NOAH has been destroyed. Bradley Thomas has been assassinated by, 'an unknown person' and SEELE has taken control of the base. They have the Type-B clones in their control." Ritsuko reported.

"Also, the First and Sixth Children were 'Wounded' at The Sixth Child's apartment. They will be revived at NERV and SEELE's newly acquired base." Ritsuko finished her report.

"Dracan has become mentally unstable?" Gendo asked.

"The brainwashing will be cleared when he is revived." Ritsuko answered. "I believe that the major problem was that SEELE may have brainwashed him as well. After he completed the task once, he was compelled to do it again, but you cannot kill a man twice. Unless you are meant to kill Drac, that is."

"That is all, Ritsuko. You may go." Gendo said.

"This changes nothing." Fuuyutski said.

"This changes everything. She is lost to us." Gendo corrected.

"Why?" Fuuyutski asked.

"She has grown too attached to the life of Ayanami Rei. She cannot be brought back now." Gendo said sadly.

"We have nothing left then to follow SEELE's plan, then."

"Yes…" Gendo said quietly.

"Are you alright, Commander?" Fuuyutski asked.

"No. It is as if I were blindfolded with promises and hopes from what I was doing and, now that hope is gone, the blindfold has been removed." Gendo said, turning pale.

"It was all necessary…" Fuuyutski began.

"I'm going home." Gendo said.

"Home? You haven't gone back to your house in three years now." Fuuyutski asked startled.

"I need to think. I need to think away from this evil place." Gendo said, a slight tone of anguish in his voice.

"I will cancel your meetings, sir." Fuuyutski said, understanding.

***

"I killed her. You don't understand. I killed her." Dracan said, curled up in a ball.

"She is fine. She is a Type A clone, remember? Even if she wanted to, she couldn't die. Are you going to leave her there, all alone?" Kaoru asked.

"Maybe it would be better for her fir I DID leave her…" Drac said quietly.

"Dracan… She doesn't care that you killed her. What hurt her the most was when you were in pain. She couldn't live her life without you. We desperately need you in that world, Drac, for otherwise, there is no chance for humanity."

"Humanity be damned."

"It already is." Kaoru said solemnly. Drac sighed heavily.

"I can't go back. She will hate me."

"She loves you too much to hate you. And you love her too much to hurt her by leaving her alone in that 'World of the Damned' as you put it." Kaoru said softly.

"You manipulative little… Stop reading my mind already!" Drac growled half-heartedly.

"Just go." Kaoru rolled his eyes. With that, Drac returned to Earth.

'Both he and Rei… Who would have thought. It is necessary to awaken the soul to revive someone… If you crosses them now… Don't be stupid, Bren. You can't hope to beat two at once.'

'I know. It seems that your path is the only path. We must put faith in Brian once again.'

'He has a good soul, Bren. You will be there to help him.'

'I know… But I just don't like putting my trust in someone whose soul hasn't awakened yet.'

'Would you prefer one of the pilots? They aren't in that position. Adam, maybe, but if you think you can trust him with anything, then think again.'

'I wouldn't DARE trust Adam, and it is insulting that you would even assume such!'

'I know. I was just stating that he had the power.'

'Brian is the only choice.'

'I still think that Drac can do it.'

'Drac is a nervous wreck right now. He couldn't accomplish this unless…

'I know what you're thinking. That is low.'

'It is necessary.'

'…Very well. We have no other choice. The alternative is… Not an option.'

'I will be finished shortly after the calf.'

'That's good. Enjoy your time in the World of the Damned, Bren.'

End of Chapter 16


	17. Chapter 17

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Apparently, for a bit there, I had screwed up and sent numerous Chapter 16's into my story. I'd like to apologize about that.

Anyway, Is it just me, or am I noticing a hatred for ACC's out there? I know that some people try to go over board on things like that, but I don't think I did my characters TOO badly.

As I've said before, I'm new to this Fanfic business, and this is my first fanfic. This may be just me, but it's kind of hard to make a plot without adding a few extra characters. You can't just grab characters that don't fit into the role and stick them there solely because they already exist…

Sorry… I went off on a rant there… Maybe I DID write the characters poorly, but, as I like to say, OH FREAKING WELL! You can just live with my poor writing style.

Anyway, on with the story. I doubt you are reading this story to ade through my pile of personal problems.

{Nobody likes me… Why does everyone always pick on me…? It's not a goiter, just an unusually large zit…}

Chapter 17

Shinji stared at the ceiling of his room like he had so many times before. When he looked up at it before, he had always been discomforted by it. When he looked at it before, he felt so out of place. As though he didn't belong. He didn't feel as much of that feeling anymore…

***

Asuka turned over in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She had always had this cold feeling that she couldn't place when she was in her room alone. But now she knew. A feeling of which she had ignored for the longest time, that she shunned because she was independent. She didn't need anyone. She was Asuka Langley Sohryu, and she was strong…

Which was bullshit. Asuka didn't FEEL strong right now. She felt alone. She couldn't help but shiver at the feeling. She missed Shinji. It wasn't always this bad. But recently, she couldn't stand to be away from Shinji for more than a few hours. Now, she had only JUST told Shinji goodnight, and she already wanted to see him again.

Asuka felt as though she might be getting a little obsessed. Clingy… And yet, she couldn't get Shinji out of her mind. His calming aura, his soothing smile, his warm eyes…

'I am so pathetic.' Asuka thought before standing up and leaving her room.

***

Déjà vu overwhelmed Shinji at this point.

The door to his room opened, and he was too tired to open his eyes to see who it was.

A rush of air drifted against him…

Shinji slowly opened his eyes, too curious just to go back to sleep…

Asuka was lying next to him on the bed. Same as she had been that night during the Sync Training. Asuka was showing a lot of cleavage, and she was even slightly closer than she had been the first time.

Asuka move suddenly, shifting indeterminably close to Shinji, one of her hands draped over his body. She had a small, contented smile on her face, as though everything was right in the world. Shinji smiled, and raped an arm around her waist before closing his eyes again…

Shinji felt a moistness press gently against his lips. Shinji opened his eyes but a sliver to see Asuka giving him a tender kiss. Shinji opened his eyes wide and, when Asuka stopped, she opened her eyes again with a smile.

"Don't ignore me." She winked slightly. "Anyways, that was just payback for when you kissed ME in MY sleep."

"But I didn't… I-I told you before… I stopped…" Shinji stammered quietly.

"I know… But since when do I need an excuse for kissing you?" Asuka smiled radiantly, and rested her head against his chest. Shinji pulled her close, and began to stroke her hair. "Shinji…"

"Yes, Asuka?" Shinji asked in a warm Whisper.

"I've been having this feeling lately… I just…" Asuka sighed heavily.

"What is it, Asuka? I'm here for you. You can tell me anything." Shinji said soothingly.

"Okay… Well… I get this feeling… Whenever we are apart… I just feel so lonely… Cold…" Asuka gritted her teeth to push out the last part. "I'm afraid. Afraid that one day, I'll wake up to find you gone… I don't know what I do if you left me…" A tear rolled down Asuka's cheek, and Shinji wiped it away with a finger.

"Don't worry about that, Asuka. I will always be here for you. No matter what. I couldn't stand to be away from you…" Shinji said, kissing her lightly on the lips. Asuka quickly threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his violently with heated passion. Shinji fought the urge to tear off her clothing, and broke the kiss between them. "Asuka…"

"I know… I just… I don't want to leave…" Asuka murmured.

"What?" Shinji blinked.

"I want to stay by your side… I thought if I… Then I…" Asuka flushed and looked away. Asuka knew that it wasn't right, and yet she was willing to give herself to him just so that she could stay by his side…

Shinji pulled her close in a warm embrace and kissed her gently on the forehead before pulling the covers over the both of them. "Sweet dreams, Asuka-chan. Sweet dreams."

***

"Well, Yumi, everything is in order. You are in exceptional condition. Your pysical checks out okay, but…" Ritsuko trailed off.

"But what?" Yumi asked, nervous.

"But it appears that you have lost your Virginity." Ritsuko said, glaring slightly. Yumi swallowed loudly, and looked away with a slight blush.

"Well, er… I…" Yumi said, panicked, before regaining her composure. "Is that all?" Yumi said.

"Yes. I'll give you my okay to be a pilot. Tenth Child." Ritsuko paused slightly in between the words.

"Thank you. Have a nice day, Dr. Akagi." Yumi said before standing, and walking out the door.

***

"Good morning, Drac. Many of us didn't think that you would be coming back this time." Brian said, awakening Drac.

"Coming back from what, Brian?" Drac asked calmly.

"Enough of that crap, Drac. We know that you know. You know everything now. A bit sooner than we would have hoped, but, well, what're ya gonna do?" Brian shrugged slightly.

"Rei?" Drac said distantly, though, for some reason he already knew the answer.

"She's alright. She's at—" Brian was cut of by Drac.

"My place." Drac said instinctively. "I have to talk to her."

"First things first, Drac—" Brian began again, only to be interrupted a second time.

"Exactly. Rei, in my mind, comes before all else. Let this World of the Damned BE damned for all I care. I am going to talk to Rei." Drac said before standing up and heading for the door. "And Brian, the next time you mess with my mind, make sure that I don't already want to do something."

Drac left the room, leaving Brian in a melancholy mood.

***

'Rei… I'm so sorry.' Drac said, though his mouth didn't let words past. Drac walked past an ice cream shop that He had taken Rei to once.

'You didn't mean to. If you had known it as me…' Came the faint reply.

'I would have done the same thing. I'm dangerous to be around, Rei. For your on safety, just stay away from me.' Drac said, passing the park where they had eaten said ice cream.

'If I die, I will come back. I don't care if I die, as long as I can spend my life with you.' An echo drifted over the water of the lake he was passing, where to teenagers were relaxing on the other side. Rei and Drac had rested on that same spot, on that same type of night, not too long ago.

'But I do. I don't want to see you in pain.' A tear rolled down Drac's cheek, and he quickly brushed it aside, continuing on his way.

'The greatest pain I could experience would be to be away from you.' The faint voice chimed, coming with it the full emotion of love. Drac, who had been moving at a steady pace at this point, broke out into a run. Sprinting across the street, kicking over bottles discarded on the sidewalk, tripping over various unseen objects. Nothing would keep him from his goal.

Drac burst through the door to the apartment complex and ran up the stairs. He threw open the door to his apartment and threw his arms around Rei, locking in a deep kiss.

***

"Ayanami Rei. Your trial begins. If you fail, your life ends." The voice called with echoing finality.

Rei found herself standing in complete darkness, and yet, she could see herself perfectly. Another body floated until it was level with her, then appeared out of the darkness.

It was Rei.

"I am Ayanami Rei. I was created by Ikari Gendo from the soul of his lost wife. He warped her soul so that it would return to his summons from death. When this happened, She ceased to be, and I was created. Later on, I died in a battle with an Eva and ceased to exist." She faded away, only to be replaced with a second form.

"I am Ayanami Rei. I was brought to life when the Real Ayanami Rei ceased to be. I am but a shade of an experiment. I was nothing. A boy loved Ayanami Rei, and she had grown increasingly fond of him, but when she died, so did the girl he loved." Rei's eyes widened with fear, knowing what the spectre before her was leading to.

"He continued to love the girl's shade, not knowing the change. When he found the truth, he clung to the false hope that something still existed of the girl he loved. A portion of that girl still existed in me, but when I died there was nothing left." Rei dropped to her knees and covered her ears with her hands, put she could not block out the voice of herself.

"A new Ayanami Rei was created. A shade of a shade of a shade. Nothing. You are nothing. I am nothing. Ayanami Rei was nothing. Ayanami Rei's existence is a blasphemous act of Ikari Gendo playing God, and trying to bring his one reason for existence back into the world." Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she cried out in anguish.

"Dracan did not fall in love with you. He fell in love with the shade of a woman that had died long before he even understood the concept of love. You did not fall in love with him. All you have is but a memory of a memory. A emotion of the soul. As are your feelings for Ikari Shinji. The love of a mother for her child. You are nothing. No emotion of your own. Nothing…" The girl faded away, leaving nothing but a crying mess behind.

Rei ended her crying and stood, accepting the truth, but not wishing to.

"I may be what you say. A shade of a shade of a shade. It may be that I did not fall in love with Drac, or he with me. What you say may be true, but it does not matter." Rei declared with defiance.

"And why is that?" Both shades asked in unison, appearing in front of her.

"Because Drac loves ME now. If what you say is true, then Drac is dead as well. What exists now is nothing but a shade of a shade of a shade of the Real Drac. But I don't care. I love him, he loves me, and you cannot break that love with anything." Rei shouted at the top of her lungs, daring the two shades to say anything to contradict what she said.

"Drac is not like you." The Real Rei said before fading away.

"Drac was created by different means than yourself. You, in Terms that Ikari Gendo had used, are a Type A clone. By those same guidelines, Dracan Omoni is a type B clone. Dracan's soul was awakened by more gentler methods than yours was. His soul was given a choice as to whether to live or die." The second Shade said before following its other.

'It is your soul that keeps him here, Ayanami Rei. If he were to think that you were gone, he would not come back. He needs to stay alive, Ayanami Rei. You must keep him alive. He, as well as the two others, are the keys to our survival.' The familiar voice of a boy said simply as the scenery took on a lighter tone.

Rei's eyes fell upon what must have been the Gates of Heaven. On the other side of the gates stood a lone figure, with gray hair and red eyes, complete with two, dove-like wings decorating his back. Rei's eyes widened with recognition as she slowly took a step back.

'Do not fear me, Rei. I am on your side. I and my companions are trying our best to save your world from the clutches of Lucifer. You must know that if Dracan ever decides to stay here, or if either Shinji or Allen are killed, the entire planet will be damned to hellfire and brimstone.' Kaoru said in a melancholy tone.

"Why are you helping us?" Rei asked, wondering why Kaoru would attempt to save mankind when he had attempted to destroy it.

'To awaken the souls to God, Rei. To allow them to move on to The new chosen land. So that more than just 144,000 people can enjoy paradise. And because I owe it to you and the other pilots for what I put you through.' Kaoru said sadly.

"Explain." Rei demanded, not trusting the boy that stood before him.

'When God created the Second Impact and left with his chosen, 13 angels rebelled, and 4 Archangels were on the brink of rebelling, yet left with him to the chosen land. The 13 stayed behind and decided to destroy the World of the Damned that God had left behind, thinking that the only way of releasing the 10,000 good souls that had been locked inside.'

'But the good souls rebelled, defending the lost souls. You, Asuka, Shinji, Touji, Misato, Ritsuko, even Gendo. They all possess good souls. They defended the lost souls with all their strength until only I and Bren were left. I went to finish what the others had started, and would have succeeded, but at the last moment realized the error of my ways.'

'The 10,000 souls were left to purify the lost ones, which I found to be an impossible feat, but at the last moment, I sensed something.' Kaoru halted in his speech.

'A girl named Yumi was brought to the light. Though she did not find God, her soul was cleansed. I sensed the hope. The other angels, save Bren, had given up hope, thinking the 10,000 ungrateful for our attempts. I saw that hope in that one girl. After that girl was purified, others around her were purified as well. And those around them were cleansed. Many people all at once…' Kaoru slowed, then stopped all together.

'When God left, there were 10,000 good souls on this planet.' Kaoru said with a smile.

"And now?" Rei asked, her doubt in Kaoru fading away.

'There are now 1 billion good souls on this planet.' Kaoru said. '1,000 of the new souls have already become angels. This brought hope to me. What boosted my spirits even more was the fact that one of them is now an Archangel.' Kaoru said.

"Are you saying that you need my help?" Rei asked.

'All I need from you is to keep Drac alive. That is all.' Kaoru paused, as though deep in thought. 'You know, your soul was never truly awakened. Dracan's was. That is what gives him free access to the planes. But we cannot let him leave until everything is done with.' Kaoru was regretful of the decision he was about to make, knowing that if it backfired on him, it would be the end.

'I will awaken your soul. It will give you the ability to travel across the planes, but I beg you to stay here. If you were to leave, so would Drac.' Kaoru said slowly.

"I will not leave." Rei promised. Upon those words, the gates that separated Kaoru from Rei creaked, and opened with a stir. Rei felt a tingling in her back as wings erupted from her, leaving Rei gaping with awe.

'You will find your mental talks with Dracan much easier now, though it boggles me as to how you managed to do it without having your soul awakened fully…' Kaoru said uncaringly before the world faded around her and she found herself in Drac's arms, embraced in a passionate kiss. Having a feeling of joy pass over her, she returned the kiss full force and held herself to him, letting herself drift into the happiness and love they felt.

***

It hadn't changed in a long time. Neither he, nor anyone else had been here for three years. It was dusty and dark, and a few cobwebs hung from random places in every room.

Three years ago, he had come back, to make sure that everything was still as it had been left. How Yui left it. He had not come back, for he found the memories too painful…

Shinji used to look on his father with admiration, and not hatred. 

That was before it began. 

Gendo had looked back on his actions, and shuddered with horror. He had done unspeakable things, all under the guise of a greater good, though he was only doing things for his own selfish purposes. When he realized what he had set his heart on was beyond his grasp, that false guise fell, leaving him to the accusing glares of the conscience he thought long dead.

Shinji was right to look onto his father with hatred now.

Ikari Gendo had once been a proud, honorable man. Now all that was left was the shell of a creature too hideous to hide its wickedness from itself. Of all the people he had hurt, however, he felt most sorry for what he had done to his son, Shinji.

Shinji deserved a better father than himself, even if he wasn't Shinji's biological father. He had hurt Shinji to the point of where he would run away from every confrontation. He had taken the boy's guardian away, one of the only people who cared for him. He had done so many things that he found himself disgusted when he looked into the mirror.

Gendo entered Shinji's old room, and looked around. It was a simple room, for they didn't have much money then, as well as a simple house. White walls, white ceiling, various toys strewn around on the ground. Gendo looked on the bed to find a small white teddy bear, a gift he had given Shinji when he was three. He slowly and tenderly lifted the stuffed animal of the bed and dusted the head off a bit.

A small smile came to his face.

Not a sardonic smile, nor a wicked smile, like the smiles that he had been known to display.

But a smile of happy remembrance. Remembering what used to be, that could not be again. Remembering how Shinji used to love his father, and how Gendo used to love his son.

That was all gone now, however. Gendo began to place the bear back on the pillow where it had rested, but paused, and left the room, taking the bear with him. The pillow was heavily covered in dirt, all but for a small portion where the bear used to lie. The dust settled from Gendo's entrance to rest on the pillow covering the spot that the bear had occupied, as to leave no trace to its existence.

***

"Hey, Shinji, you have a package!" Asuka called out. Shinji poked his head out of his room and pulled the headphones of his head.

"What?" Shinji asked, honestly not hearing Asuka. Shinji jerked back when a medium sized brown box connected with his head.

"If it was breakable, it would have said fragile." Asuka said with a sweet smile.

"It does!" Shinji said, pointing to the Japanese letters on the side of the box. Asuka chuckled.

"Oh, Shinji, you know I can't read Kanji very well." Asuka said innocently. Shinji rolled his eyes and looked at the address on the box, which caused him to grow pale. "What is it, Shinji-kun?"

"This is from my old house…" Shinji said slowly.

"You mean the one out in the country?" Asuka asked, boggled.

"No, the one where I used to live with my father and mother." Shinji said, not comprehending the meaning of the box. Had his father wanted to send him something, wouldn't he have sent it through NERV?

"Well, don't just stand there, open it, Baka!" Asuka growled. Shinji obliged her reluctantly.

He removed the object from the box, not immediately recognizing it. An originally white Teddy Bear that had been turned gray from dust and age. Shinji didn't understand what it meant at first, until he recognized it as a Childhood momento of his.

"It's a dirty old bear." Asuka said dryly. Shinji smiled slightly, not even hearing her words. Shinji slowly walked to his room and gently placed the bear on a shelf. Shinji remembered his father before he had changed. The man that Shinji had loved as a father…

"Shinji?" Asuka asked quietly, wondering why Shinji was acting this way. Shinji put his had on her arm, and gently kissed her on the forehead before heading to the kitchen to make some Dinner.

***

Death begets death. Killing begets killing. And yet, love begets love.

Hate begets hate. Sorrow begets sorrow. And yet, joy begets joy.

All emotions derive from other emotions, like a kaleidoscope of colors, which seem random and unpredictable.

All happiness derives from happiness, like a flower of the sun, spreading its pedals to the world to show its joy for merely existing.

And yet, Betrayal derives from the beginning of time, when one angel preferred to rule in anguish then serve in paradise.

All emotions were derived from a similar emotion that came before it, like a domino effect pushing others towards or away from each other.

And yet, there are those who defy the nature of things. 

There are those who, despite the anguish pushed upon them, cannot help but look to the light.

There are those who cannot help but look to that flower and join it in its lamentations of joy solely for its existence.

End of Chapter 17


	18. Chapter 18

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This is the chapter that I was going to reveal the plot having to do with the violence incident dealing with Asuka and Shinji. But SOME people were impatient {Chemi!} and had to know RIGHT THEN in Chapter 4! But, despite that, I take pride in the fact that I mislead all of you down the path of why Shinji hit Asuka!

Upon inspection, I've also noticed that I've been getting gradually more asinine with every Chapter Note I write… Sorry 'bout that. ^.^!!

Chapter 18

"Asuka Langley Sohryu. Your trial begins. If you fail, your life ends." The voice called with echoing finality.

Asuka found herself standing in complete darkness, and yet, she could see herself perfectly. Another body floated until it was level with her, then appeared out of the darkness.

It was Asuka.

"I am Asuka Langley Sohryu. I was born with no father. My mother spent little time with me, dedicating her life to science. One day she went insane, and began treating a doll as if it were me. I became any Eva pilot. I ran to tell my mother this fact, only to find her dead, where she had hung herself."

"I lived in America until 2 years ago, when I lived in Germany for one year. I moved to Japan after that, and failed in an Eva battle. I was forced to spend one week living under the same roof as Ikari Shinji, a boy of whom I found incredibly cowardly."

"After winning the battle admirably, I decided that it was fun to pick on Shinji, so I moved in with he and Misato. The teasing was borderline to torment, until Kaji, a man who I had a crush on died. This made me realize that I cared for Shinji more than I wanted to believe."

"My mind violently denied it, and even went to great lengths to prove that I didn't care for him, and that I despised that weak, spineless little boy. Then, deciding that I wanted to totally and utterly destroy him, to prove to myself that I didn't care for him, I became totally nice and sweet to him." 

"He accepted this quickly, for reasons beyond me, and I found myself wanting to go to movies with him, go out to eat with him, spend time with him… My mind was so disgusted by what my heart was telling me, that it reached out and struck at Shinji the only way it knew it could rectify its error."

"I told a lie. I told Shinji that I hated him. Even though I knew that I loved Shinji ever since Kaji died, my mind wouldn't let me believe it. So my mind made me lie. Shinji wasn't affected by the violence towards him. He was horrified by the lie, however."

"That caused him to hate me. I know that now…" Asuka's image looked as though it were about to cry. "What if he hates me now? What if he is going to destroy me, like I did him? If he did, I know that I wouldn't live through it. I would shrivel up in a corner and die…" Asuka's shade disappeared, leaving the doubts with Asuka.

Asuka fell to her knees, shaking her head slowly. She had been fearing that exact hypothesis. If Shinji did hate her, she wouldn't be able to go on in life… Asuka remembered the look of hate on his face. The look of utter torment and rage. And the look of supreme loathing…

"No." Asuka said firmly. "Shinji doesn't hate me. He loves me. And I love him. I feel the bonds between us… And nothing can break them… I can feel his soul calling to me when we are apart. I feel my own soul screaming for his touch…" Asuka stood quickly and cried out into the void.

"And none of your crap can change that! Who is this!? Who's messing with my mind?!?" Asuka yelled defiantly.

'And so, the Second Child passes the test. Congratulations, Asuka.' Said a familiar voice. Asuka couldn't quite place it…

Asuka's eyes fell upon what must have been the Gates of Heaven. On the other side of the gates stood a lone figure, with gray hair and red eyes, complete with two, dove-like wings decorating his back. Asuka's eyes widened with recognition as she slowly took a step back.

"YOU!" Asuka shouted, and charged the gates, only to be thrown backward. "What do you want with me!?"

"Please calm down, Miss Sohryu. All will be explained." Kaoru assured.

"Why were you casting doubts on me and Shinji's relationship?" Asuka demanded.

"That wasn't me. That was your own doubts from your own mind." Kaoru said, and Asuka knew it to be true.

"Alright, fine. Then why did you bring me here?" Asuka asked suspiciously.

"To awaken your soul." Kaoru said with a smile. Asuka gave him a blank look. Kaoru let out a great sigh, as if you were dealing with one of ignorance. "All you have to do is protect Shinji. If you do that, I will awaken your soul."

"Awaken my soul? What IS all this crap? I have no idea what you are talking about." Asuka said with irritation. Kaoru shook his head, and made a twirl with his wrists. 

The gates that separated Kaoru from Asuka creaked, and opened with a stir. Asuka felt a tingling in her back as wings erupted from her, leaving Asuka gaping with awe.

"And don't go showing your wings to everyone, now. I didn't need to tell Rei, seeing as how she has common sense…" Kaoru sighed heavily.

"You keep pushing it, Kaoru…" Asuka growled. Kaoru laughed and shook his head.

"Anyway, as part of passing the trial, I must give you answers, so I will answer the question that is nearest to your soul. The question usually relates to the trial, and is usually answered there, but your question couldn't be answered from within…" Kaoru trailed off. "So it looks like we must search elsewhere for our answer…" 

The scenery went black, as before, but only one thing was different. Asuka couldn't see herself, but could see a lone figure standing in the center of the room, clad in a white plug suit.

'You must not call out to him. If you do, your questions will remain unanswered.' She heard Kaoru's voice in her head. Asuka found herself floating in the void, waiting for Shinji's test to begin.

***

Shinji felt his body ooze from around him. That was the only way he could explain the feeling. As if it melted away, leaving nothing, but he felt his consciousness still there. Shinji found himself in a void of pure blackness, seeing nothing but himself… 

Though he could sense something off in the distance, invisible, yet there none the less… He didn't feel discomforted by this presence. On the contrary, he felt soothed by it, yet he couldn't help but wonder what it was.

He felt another presence in the void, a familiar one that summoned feelings of betrayal from him.

"Why did you do it?" The second presence asked, as the first remained silent.

"Do what?" Shinji asked, looking around him, searching for the source of the question.

"Why did you commit violence against your heart?" The voice asked. It was so familiar, and yet he couldn't quite place it…

"A question that could be answered on so many levels." Shinji said, stalling for time. Obviously, this entity wished something of him. An answer. And Shinji feared that, once it received it's answer, it would be done with him.

"And yet you know to which instance I refer to, Shinji." The voice said. It was true. Shinji knew, but he was stalling for time. "Answer."

"I was in pain. I wanted to hit her back because she hit me." Shinji lied. Shinji could feel his senses sharpen with each passing second.

"And yet, that is not the truthful answer." The voice said. "You felt an extreme anger then. A supreme hate. And yet you love her now. Why?"

"She brushed me off. She told me that she hated me, and I wanted to make her pay." Shinji lied again. He could almost see where the being was, but not quite…

"Another lie. Answer truthfully now, Third Child. Why?" Kaoru asked. Shinji was startled by the knowledge of the person in front of him. He wanted to ask why Kaoru wanted to know, but was compelled to answer. Since Kaoru knew that Shinji sensed him, it would be hard to reach him.

If Kaoru was planning on doing something to him, then he wanted to have the upper hand so he put himself in position to grab at the first entity. Shinji inhaled deeply and spoke the true answer to the question asked him.

***

"Because that is what she wanted, and because I wanted to make her happy. No matter how much I hated myself for it." Shinji said, looking down. Asuka nearly gasped, but held it in, so as not to alert Shinji to her presence. But Asuka found herself wondering. 

'This wasn't like my test. My test was completely different. Shinji… I can't believe that I was so stupid. I hurt him, not because I didn't love him, but because I didn't want to love him.' Asuka would have slumped against a wall if there were one.

{You made me love you. I didn't wanna do it, I didn't wanna do it…}

Asuka nearly jumped out of her skin when Shinji grabbed her wrist. Perhaps he knew that she was there all along? But the look of surprise on his face countermanded that thought.

"Asuka… Why are you…?" Shinji asked, with shock edging on every syllable. Asuka wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him longingly on the lips.

"Oh, Shinji…" Asuka said, gazing into his eyes with love. Asuka felt the world around her fade away, though there was no color to show that it was fading…

Asuka found herself sitting on the couch, watching static on TV. The last she recalled, she was watching her favorite TV show with a bowl full of popcorn, which was now empty, though not by her doing…

It was then that Asuka realized that she had missed the end of the show. 'You will pay dearly for this, Kaoru…' She seethed internally, then decided just to forget about it, leaning back to think. The series had been going down hill ever since Elizabeth stole the potpie from Andrew. Asuka wondered what Shinji was doing, and after looking at the time, answered her self.

'He's probably sleeping.' Asuka sighed heavily. Asuka wasn't the least bit tired, due to what Kaoru had said… And she found it slightly odd that he didn't get confirmation as to whether she WOULD protect Shinji…

Of course, Asuka would protect Shinji even IF Kaoru hadn't told her to. Shinji was so weak and, though he was trying to be stronger, he was still fragile. Asuka loved him too much to see him get hurt.

Asuka leaned forward quickly, responding to a noise in the hallway. Shinji had opened his door and entered the kitchen. Asuka got off the couch and sneaked into the kitchen behind him. Without making a noise, she crept up behind him. She was about to grab his underwear and pull them over his head, but then thought against it.

Shinji would be rather irked for one, and for another, it would be too easy. And she was being nice to Shinji now. So Asuka gave him a tight hug from behind, which probably frightened him more than any mere wedgie would have…

But then she would have got the pleasure of reaching in his pants.

"Ack! Er… Hi, Asuka… H-how are you?" Shinji asked, nearly dropping the carton of milk in his hand. Asuka smiled, and released him.

"I fell asleep on the couch and missed the last of my show…" Asuka said, pouting.

"And I take it you're not tired right now." Shinji said, slightly lacking enthusiasm.

"Nope. I'm wide awake. And after that experience, neither should you." Asuka said cheerily.

"What experience?" Shinji asked. This surprised Asuka.

"Hmm… Maybe it was just a dream after all." Asuka shrugged.

"You mean it wasn't?" Shinji asked. "What exactly did you dream?"

"Nothing. Just you, spilling your guts out to some gay kid. I saw it all, and even kissed you afterwards." Asuka shrugged. Shinji gaped.

"Er… Asuka… About that…" Shinji began.

"Forget about it. I've been wondering the answer to that question for a long while." Asuka said before taking a carton of Orange Juice out of the fridge. Shinji smiled slightly.

"I get it." Shinji said. Asuka looked at him funny, not knowing hat the hell he was talking about.

"Get what?" Asuka asked.

"That was your question." Shinji said with a very Asuka-like smile. Asuka jumped.

"W-why would you say that?" Asuka said, looking over her shoulder at nothing.

"No reason. I was only guessing, but your body language proves it." Shinji said.

"Yeah, I'll bet you've spent a lot of time staring at my body, you hentai." Asuka teased.

"Only when you're in the shower." Shinji said casually.

"WHAT?!? If you want to see me naked, Third Child, you ASK first!" Asuka said loudly.

"Maybe I'm one of those guys who take what I want…" Shinji jumped at Asuka and grabbed her by the waist. "What if I decided I wanted you right now?" Shinji teased.

"I'd say, wait until we get into the bedroom." Asuka said, a look of pure innocence on her face. Shinji, who wasn't expecting such a response, stopped and gawked. "I'm kidding, Baka Hentai!" Asuka said with a smile, flipping him lightly on the forehead with her thumb and forefinger. "Buuuuuuuuuuuut… I do want to sleep in your bed again…" She purred into his ear, causing him to have a nosebleed.

"Asuka…" Shinji disapproved.

"I won't do anything naughty. I promise…" Asuka said in a very irresistible way.

"…Well… Alright…" Shinji said, not being able to resist Asuka's superior charms.

'No man is a match for Asuka Langley Sohryu!' She said to herself as she dragged Shinji off with her to his room. 

***

"And you actually thought that dying would get you out of it, didn't you Drac?" Rei accused, adjusting the Orange Chinchilla Fur cap on his head.

"Actually, yes." Drac sighed heavily, fiddling with the ocarina that had been shoved into his had just minutes prior. "This still doesn't change the fact that I don't know how to play the ocarina."

"Well, fake it. Try it now. There're only 3 holes. How hard can it be?" Rei said. Rei was silenced at Drac's attempt at playing the musical instrument. "Okay… Um… Maybe you should practice a bit… It shouldn't be that hard, seeing as how you have an I. Q. of 400! You'll learn how to play in a snap!" Rei said hopefully.

"I don't have an I. Q. of 400! I guessed on that I. Q. test! Its results are as phony as that hair extension!" Drac cried, pointing at the fake ponytail.

"THEN GUESS AT THE NOTES!" Rei growled. "Honestly, Drac!"

"Can you even sing?" Drac asked, sarcastically.

"It can't be too hard!" Rei said confidently.

"OH BOY!" Drac rolled his eyes.

"What?!?" Rei growled.

"Music isn't something you just whiz through, Rei! It's a description of ones soul! It cries out the feelings of the writer as well as the performer! The music intertwines… You can stop rolling your eyes any time, Rei!" Drac hissed.

"And of course, you speak from experience. You've written works of art! You've played music masterfully! You're an EXELLENT musician!" Rei said facetiously.

"I have written music! And I play the violin! Not some flute wannabe!" Drac shouted.

"Oh! The Vi-o-lin! Aren't we spe-ci-al!" Rei said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Unlike you, who hasn't touched a musical instrument in her life! I bet that when you hear Beethoven's Fur Elise, all you hear is noise!" Drac countered. Rei was about to retort with a witty comeback, but realized that he was right.

"I was like that, yes, but…" Rei said, growing silent. Drac immediately regretted what he said.

"Rei…" Drac began.

"I was like that, but you changed all that." Rei said, taking his hand in hers. "You opened me to all this emotion, all these feelings, with your love. Now I do hear music. I see beauty around me when I saw trees. I see happiness when I saw a bird before. I see love when, before, I saw a young boy." Drac was quieted by the speech as he clutched her hand tighter.

"Rei…" Drac whispered.

"All I want to do is make music with you. If music is a description of the soul, then, when we perform music together, it should be beautiful, no matter how badly it was played." Rei said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Alright, Rei. I'll try." He said, releasing her hand and taking up the ocarina. "You may not know how to play a musical instrument, but you can certainly play me like a fiddle."

"Hai!" Rei said, a broad smile on her face. Drac hit himself in the head, yet continued to practice on the instrument. "You have an hour before we go on, Drac!" Rei said cheerfully. Drac had always hated Anime conventions…

***

"Asuka?" Shinji asked quietly. Asuka had rested her head on his chest, as well as one hand.

"Yes, Shinji?" Asuka responded, looking up slightly.

"I haven't seen the Pastor around lately. Where do you think he is?" Shinji asked.

"Probably sleeping. Jeez, Shinji! We're having a romantic moment, and you ask me about a priest! You really need to work on your wooing technique!" Asuka complained.

"Actually, he's a pastor, not a priest." Shinji corrected.

"It doesn't matter!" Asuka yelled violently. "The point is, you don't mention anything about your faith when you're in bed with your girlfriend!"

"Yes I do. In fact I just did." Shinji corrected her again.

"Well, you shouldn't!" Asuka fumed.

"You know, you're beautiful when you're angry." Shinji said dashingly, which caught Asuka off guard.

"Okay, so you can be romantic when you want to. But you need to be it more often." Asuka said, resting her head back on his chest. "And touching my butt isn't romantic, it just turns me on." Asuka corrected him.

"I know." Shinji smiled evilly.

"So why haven't you removed your hand yet?" Asuka asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I like touching your butt." Shinji said.

"Touching of the butt is only for public. When we're in private you touch me here." Asuka said, moving his hand to her breast. Shinji's nose began to bleed.

"If you're so embarrassed about it you can remove your hand." Asuka said.

"Um…" Shinji retorted.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed, Shinji." Asuka said in a kawaii tone of voice.

***

Allen didn't understand why he had to be here. Yumi could have gone herself.

"But I need a big strong man to protect me! Those anime freaks are some scary guys!" Yumi replied. Allen promptly asked why she brought a 16 year old boy if she wanted a big strong man, to which he got a light smack on the back of the head.

Allen was now sitting in a small auditorium, waiting for the costume competition to start.

"Why do I have to be here again?" Allen asked.

"Shut up and watch the fat guy dressed up as Lime, Allen." Yumi said with a smile on her face. Allen looked at, and promptly looked away from, Bubba Lime with fear.

"That was frightening! Can we go now?!?" Allen said not daring to look at the stage.

"Nope. We still have to go see episodes from Warrior Class A, as well as the RPG rooms. I have Lina Inverse, level 15 Mage!" Yumi smiled. Allen rolled his eyes. Nothing better than a pre-impact anime.

"Do I detect a hint of discontent?" Yumi warned.

"No, Yumi." Allen said, rolling his eyes again.

"That's what I thought. You know what, we should have entered the costume show as Irvine and Selphie! We would have won!" Yumi said smiling. Yumi was quiet for a bit.

"Yumi?" Allen asked fearfully.

"Do you think we could make a last minute entry?" Yumi asked.

"No." Allen said, crossing his hands over his chest.

"But it would be fun!" Yumi pouted.

"You said this would be fun! And all I'VE seen thus far is a fat man in skimpy clothing!" Allen yelled.

"Here, here!" Someone cried from the crowd.

"We want better costumes!" Someone else cried.

"Oh, great, Allen! You've started a riot! That's VERY GOOD of you! Now were probably gonna get kicked out!" Yumi cried.

"ME?!? I didn't even want to COME to this stupid thing, but you wanted to see some dumb 90's Anime that you've never seen before! What was it again? Fuyushi Shigi?" Allen crowed.

"Fushigi Yuugi, you retard! Why do you always have to hate everything I like?!?" Yumi screamed.

"Cuz' you only like stupid stuff!!!" Allen screamed back.

"Excuse me, to the young married couple in the back, you're disturbing the contest." Came the voice of the man at the microphone. 

Yumi colored and tried to look as small as possible, while Allen began to laugh nervously.

This was followed by a round of applause. Allen began to bow to the people around him, to which Yumi kicked him in the shin.

"For our next entry, two children will perform a musical number for us as Luna and Alex from Lunar." There was a slight echo from the only person clapping in the room. Yumi stopped immediately.

"Tough crowd." Yumi said.

"They had to watch a big fat man in a dress dance, Yumi. After that, anyone would be less than enthused." Allen commented.

The two children walked up on the stage and looked around them. The boy dressed as Alex shrugged and stood by the mike provided for him.

"His costume has holes in it. And he sucks at the ocarina." Allen commented.

__

Wishing on a dream that seems far off, 

Hoping it will come today.

"He's not that bad. But the holes in his shirt definitely are a turn off in the judging." Yumi reviewed. "The girl, on the other hand, has an absolutely marvelous voice. And her costume is perfect. It actually looks like she has blue hair."

__

Into the starlit night, foolish dreamers turn their gaze,

Waiting on a shooting star.

"The guys hair is so obviously dyed brown that even I could point it out. The only thing I can say actually is good about him is the hat. It looks exactly like the hat in the game." Allen critiqued.

__

But, What if that star is not to come?

Will their dreams fade to nothing?

"Their performance is A LOT better than the previous ones. Though that isn't saying much." Yumi said, listening to the music. "I'd give them a 9 solely due to contrast."

__

When the horizon darkens most,

We all need to believe there is hope.

"True, the contrast does boost their score substantially, for it would be a poor contest indeed if all the entrees scored below 1, but seeing as how it's obvious that they put an effort into this, I'd give them a 5. However, it is customary to give the best team a 10, so I will have to compromise with an 8." Allen said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

__

Is an angel watching closely over me?

Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?

"They're judging by stars, you idiot." A random member of the crowd piped in.

__

I know my heart should guide me but,

There's a hole within my soul.

"What do you say, Yumi? Three and three quarters stars?" Allen asked.

__

What will fill this emptiness inside of me?

Am I to be satisfied without knowing?

"Around there, yes. Due to contrast." Yumi agreed. "Still, if someone else was playing the ocarina, I'd give the girl 4 stars."

__

I wish then for a chance to see.

Now all I need.

"She missed a word there." Allen noted.

__

Is my star to come?

"She can't sing with two voices at once, baka." Yumi said.

"They did it in the song." Allen said.

"They did that through editing." Yumi said rolling her eyes.

"Was it just me, or did that girl look unbelievably like Rei?" Allen commented.

"I do believe it WAS her. And the one in the back was Drac." Yumi agreed.

"So that's why there were bullet holes in his costume. I didn't know he could play the ocarina." Allen said.

"He can't. And it showed." Yumi said.

"I thought you said it wasn't that bad." Allen said.

"That was before I knew it was Drac. Drac doesn't let himself do things poorly. I wonder what went wrong here." Yumi wondered.

"His girlfriend probably forced him into it at the last minute." Allen glared.

"Or maybe his girlfriend told him about it before, and he just forgot!" Yumi growled.

"Or maybe his girlfriend is a dominatrix who must always have everything her way!" Allen growled back.

"If you two don't calm down, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The guy on the mike said with a broad grin, not meaning it, but just saying it to embarrass them.

"I think we should go say hi to Drac and Rei…" Yumi said.

"Yes, let's." Allen agreed. They both ran out of the room almost in a sprint.

Everyone in the crowd jeered. They were the best entertainment in he evening.

End of Chapter 18


	19. Chapter 19

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I think that I might start putting more than 7 pages in a chapter, because this is starting to get really long. This is like, full novel here! It's over 100 pages, approaching 150, and I still have a ways to go in the plot! I had planned to stop before Chapter 25, but I just don't know anymore!

Sorry. I get like this when I eat too much Mexican food and write my story just afterwards…

Chapter 19

"It's here." Fuuyutski said.

"I know." Gendo said.

"Then why don't you inform the children?" Fuuyutski asked.

"When we need to. It isn't going to make its appearance just yet." Gendo said.

"Why must we wait? Why not just destroy it in its miniature form?" Fuuyutski asked.

"To buy time. To stop SEELE in what they're doing. Before it is too late." Gendo said.

"Why? Our path is no longer an option!" Fuuyutski asked.

"I have found a new path. It will save every soul on this planet." Gendo said.

"Their path is cruel, yes, but I thought that we had no other options." Fuuyutski said.

"We have one more. I was reluctant to do it before, but I will do it now. I owe it to the world… And to Shinji." Gendo said, putting a hand on his forehead as he looked down with guilt.

"I know of what path you speak. Are you sure you want to do this? Yumi will be devastated." Fuuyutski said.

"Yumi has another that will help her afterwards. If Adam lives, then we all die." Gendo said.

"What about yourself? The path YOU must take…" Fuuyutski began.

"I am willing to make the sacrifice." Gendo said.

***

"Hi!" Yumi called out to Rei and Drac. Drac waved half-heartedly, mostly due to the fact that he was hoping no one he knew had seen him perform. Allen followed behind Yumi with a slight smirk.

"If you say anything, Allen, you die." Drac said, not looking in his direction.

"That was great, Rei! I can't believe you have such a good singing voice!" Yumi told her.

"Say anything, like what? Like your playing bit chunky logs of turd nuggets?" Allen said, trying not to laugh out loud.

"Thanks, Yumi! Drac said that I should have practiced, but I've never had a lesson in my life!" Rei said with pride.

"Shut up, Allen." Drac said, taking off the hat and putting it in his bag. "Listen to this. I don't like you. The only reason I'm even putting UP with you is because of Yumi, so don't push your luck with me. I've killed men before. Don't think I'll make an exception for you." Drac glared at him with hate.

"It certainly doesn't show! You were excellent! You're definitely going to win the contest! For sure!" Yumi said. "Actually, I don't know. Bubba Lime might just beat you!" She said, and they joined in a round of uncontrollable giggles.

"Is that a threat, Sixth Child?" Allen said, meeting his gaze with equal rage. "I don't take kindly to threats, especially from little twerps that, not only wet their pants at the sight of an angel, but liquify into a puddle on the ground." Allen nearly hissed with anger.

"Oh, no. We shouldn't have left those boys alone… Now it looks like they're gonna fight…" Rei said fearfully.

"At least I fought. Unlike little freak boy who stood in the corner doing nothing!" Drac retorted.

"Wrong move, Drac…" Yumi said, covering her face with her hands.

"You repeat that! I dare you! You won't be coming back this time!" Allen shouted.

"That hit a nerve…" Rei said, putting her hand on her mouth slightly.

"You couldn't touch me, you dumb bastard! Get outta here before you get hurt, **_FREAK BOY_**!" Drac shouted. Allen took a swing at Drac in pure rage. Drac, sensing that Allen was completely unfocused, ducked under the punch and elbowed him in the gut. After that being done, he quickly brought his hand up in one fluid motion, hitting Allen in the nose with the back of his fist, followed by a leg sweep.

"Ouch… I can't watch…" Yumi said, peaking from behind her hands.

"Shouldn't we try to stop this?" Rei asked.

"I know both Allen and Drac… Once they start something… Well… One of them is leaving here on a stretcher… That's all I can say…" Yumi said quietly.

"Unless…" Rei quickly left the room.

Allen, knocked flat on his back, left his fog of rage and focused his mind on the task at hand. He flipped himself up off the ground, and whipped the corner of his mouth off, for a small trail of blood flowed from it. Allen had not recognized his foe as a formidable opponent, a mistake he would not repeat.

A gathering appeared, thinking it a martial arts demonstration, not knowing the severity of the situation. Allen launched a series of punches, all deflected by Drac's right fore arm, which was countered by a swift uppercut with his left, connecting him squarely on the chin.

Allen recognized Drac's fighting style as a mixture of Boxing, Karate, and Ti Quan Do, as well as a few original moves, after a few series of punches. After Allen realized this, the fight turned in his favor, for he could predict Drac's movement to some extent.

Drac threw a roundhouse kick, which was deflected by Allen's left hand. Allen countered with a roundhouse kick of his own, which Drac was very much unprepared for. It connected into the side of the head, sending him flying against the wall with a loud crack. Drac jumped to his feet and observed the situation.

Allen had figured out many of his moves. Allen seemed to shift in and out of fighting styles so unpredictably, he couldn't tell what style he as using half the time. Drac would have to stay inm a state of perpetual defense and punch only when he knew there was no way for him to counter.

Allen launched a flurry of punches so fast, Drac almost didn't block them all. Allen then attempted another roundhouse kick, which Drac ducked under and punched him in the stomach

Allen fell down and, oblivious to the pain, hopped right back up. Allen felt the anger returning, but, instead of hiding it, used it to fuel the force of his punches, with exceptional results. Allen punched out again and, though Drac blocked it, he was thrown back.

Drac nearly cried out due to the pain as he hit the ground. He felt his arm, and discovered a break. Drac was determined to do at least as much to him. Drac launched a kick from the ground, connecting with Allen's kneecap, causing him to fall to the ground. Drac brought the foot up, and connected with Allen's face.

Blood oozed from where Drac had kicked him in the face. Allen's nose had been broken, but, judging from the way Drac was moving, Drac's left hand was not going to be of much help to him. Allen then decided to do something completely unexpected.

Drac was caught completely off guard when Allen headbutted him in the ribcage, sending him into the wall again, this time causing the wall to crack. Drac was completely winded, and had lost all ability to defend himself.

Stars flew in his head as punch after punch connected with his face. Shortly after that, everything went black…

Allen picked Drac off the ground by the collar, and looked at him. Lacerations marked his face, both eyes were black, and a slight indentation in his head marked a concussion. Allen threw him against the wall and walked away slowly.

Rei ran back into the room and gaped at the display. She had been too late. Drac was unconscious on the ground, while Allen was holding his nose to prevent the blood from staining the carpet. Rei ran to his side, followed by security guards who detained Allen.

"Let me go! He started it!" Allen protested as he was dragged out the door, but Rei ignored it. She was too busy checking to see if Drac was okay.

One look, and she was certain. "Somebody call an ambulance!" Rei cried out.

***

Kensuke sat at his computer, completely bored. He typed away rapidly, trying to tell Chemi that Gundam W WASN'T the best anime of all time, and that Ranma ½ had it beat by a long shot.

{Though we all know what truly is the greatest anime of all time.*}

{*If you say Pokèmon or Digimon, then I will kill you**}

{**Idle Threat***}

{***I've got too many of these things in here, don't I? ;p}

Kensuke got bored with talking to Chemi's one-mindedness, and him saying that even the FLAWS in that particular Gundam series were awesome, that he promptly ceased talking to him. 

He instead continued to hack into the school mainframe and attempt to change his grades. What he found was the principal's file folder. It had some… Interesting pictures of one of the teachers in school… Blackmail. The principal was married.

Just then, Kensuke's cellphone rang. Kensuke answered it, and immediately smiled, completely cheered up. There was an Angel approaching the city. He would be able to pilot his Eva.

***

"Hello?" Came the voice over the phone. Rei had answered Drac's Cellphone.

"Rei? Where's Drac?" Ritsuko asked.

"He's right here." Rei sounded rather worried.

"Could you tell him an Angel is coming please?" Ritsuko asked impatiently. The Automated calling service had broken down, so Ritsuko had to call them each individually.

"I'm afraid he can't pilot today. Allen beat him within an inch of his life. We're in the hospital right now. He's unconscious." Rei said.

"What?!? Why didn't you have them bring him here?!?" Ritsuko screamed over the phone.

"The hospital was closer!" Rei cried in her defense.

"Did they take any X-Rays?" Ritsuko asked quickly.

"Yes…" Rei responded, confused.

"Find them and burn them before they develop. Go quickly." Ritsuko ordered.

"What?" Rei asked, appalled.

"No questions! Just do it!" Ritsuko commanded.

"No." Rei said firmly.

"WHAT?" It was Ritsuko's turn to be appalled. 

"If Drac has some broken bones, he'll need to be treated. Whatever your reasons, it's not more important than Drac!" Rei screamed into the phone.

"This is DEFINITELY more important than Drac! If he dies, he can be replaced! If THOSE are discovered…!" Ritsuko yelled.

"Goodbye, Doctor." Click.

"It's okay, Drac. Everything's going to be fine." Rei assured his unconscious form, holding his hand tightly. The doctor slowly came in the door, unable to take his eyes away from the X-Ray he was holding. 

"What is it, Doctor?" Rei asked, becoming increasingly worried.

"Do you want the strange news first, or the REALLY strange news first?" He asked, a sweat drop rolling down his forehead.

"Strange first, I guess…" Rei said quietly.

"Strange news. Right. This kid's got his own ribs piercing his lungs. That's why he's on life support. Such a feat SHOULD be physically impossible by a simple headbutt, especially with the strength of this kid's skeletal system…"

"And the really strange news?" Rei said, fearing the worst.

"He has some form of extra, retractable bones in his body…" The doctor trailed off.

"What are you saying, sir?" Rei asked, completely baffled.

"It's hard to explain, Miss… Maybe you should just forget about it for now… Just wait for your boyfriend to heal… And I'll find a place to put these where no one else can find them…" The doctor said reassuringly.

"What's wrong with him?" Rei asked.

"Nothing that will hurt him, I assure you. Just relax and stay by his side." The doctor looked at the X-Rays and left the room, leaving Rei guessing.

***

"Maybe we should check on him…" Shinji said, placing the breakfast plate in front of Asuka.

"Just sit down and eat!" Asuka growled. Asuka engulfed the omelet she had been given in two seconds, for she had not eaten any non-oriental food in some time…

"Maybe the Pastor would like some breakfast…" Shinji asked in between bites.

"FINE! If it bothers you that much, I'll go check on him! Happy?" Asuka stood quickly.

"Thank you, Asuka-chan." Shinji said, as if expecting no less.

Shinji was greatly disturbed when he heard Asuka scream. Shinji burst into the room to find the good Pastor hanging in the closet by his neck. Asuka would have fallen to the ground in tears had Shinji not caught her.

She pulled herself close to Shinji and sobbed into the apron he was wearing, whispering every so often about her mother. Shinji looked around, and saw signs of a struggle, as well as a broken window. He had been murdered. 'But by who?' Shinji asked himself as he did his best to comfort the sobbing Asuka.

***

"What do you mean you can't come?!?" Ritsuko screamed into the phone.

"Asuka's a nervous wreck! She can't even speak coherently, much less pilot an Eva!" Shinji said.

"You realize that if you two don't pilot, we will only have the three new pilots to defend us?" Ritsuko asked, depressed.

"I'm sorry. I can't do anything about it…" Shinji said. Click.

Ritsuko stormed away from the phone and waited for the Eva pilots in the hangars.

***

Asuka rested in Shinji's arms, shaking like a leaf. Shinji had since moved her to her own room, but did not let her go. If anything he held her closer to him.

'I wish I new how to help her… God, I can't stand to see her in pain…' Shinji thought to himself.

"Mama…" Asuka whispered quietly.

Shinji recalled an outburst of Asuka's before. 

"Why did he make a little girl watch her own mother hang herself!?!?!?" Asuka had screamed. Shinji understood why she was like this. To find another person around her, in almost the exact same conditions as her mother…

Shinji kissed her lightly on the forehead, and placed her head on his chest. After a short while of this, Asuka had stopped crying, however she was still shivering as if she had taken a dip in –30 degree water. The phone rang, and Shinji began to get up and answer it, put a slight whimper from Asuka stopped him in his tracks.

Nothing was more important than her. Not Eva, not even the entire planet. Shinji took a blanket and draped it over them, and drifted off to sleep, holding Asuka in his arms…

Shinji found himself running through the halls of an unknown place, not being able to control himself, and not knowing his destination. The scenery appeared to be that of an insane asylum…

He stopped at a room, and opened the door, to see a woman hanging in a closet by her neck.

Shinji found himself floating away from the body he had been observing from. He found himself looking at a younger version of Asuka with a look of terror on her face. The background faded, and he found himself in a place similar to the background where he had been asked that question…

"What do you want, Kaoru?" Shinji said with hate.

"You are very perceptive, Shinji. More perceptive than when we last met in the World of the Damned, as Drac has dubbed it." Kaoru said casually.

"What do you want?" Shinji said, not taking his eyes off his enemy.

"And yet, blind in other ways. Shinji, YOU came to ME. You called out for ansers, and I am but the Messenger of God. I am at your disposal, sir." Kaoru bowed deeply.

"Why?" Shinji asked, confused.

"Ah, but that is a question I cannot answer until the very end. Then, all will be revealed. But now, you wish to help Asuka, yes?" Kaoru asked. Without waiting for an answer, Kaoru continued. "It is within your power. Not that much isn't…"

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"And now, I've said to much. I'll give you a little boost, and we'll take it from there, okay?" Kaoru disappeared, and Shinji materialized into a place with unrecognizable horror. Blood coated the walls, the floor, the ceiling…

In the middle of it all was Asuka, surrounded by, to Shinji's disbelief, 4 OTHER Asukas.

***

"Hey, Touji! What's up?" Kensuke called out to his friend.

"Kensuke! Where have you been? Whenever I called your house, the phone was busy!" Touji said.

"I've been on the internet, and… I got some dirt on the principal. Can you say blackmail?" Kensuke grinned.

"And you two will never grow up! Get changed already!" Hikari called from behind the screen. Touji had done a very good job of forgetting the fact that Hikari was over there and, now that he remembered, he couldn't keep his eyes away from her outline.

"Maybe you should plug your nose before you get into your plugsuit, Touji. Bloodstains don't come out well. And maybe you SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT HIKARI THROUGH THE SCREEN!" Kensuke made his voice very audible. Hikari screamed.

"Shut up! I was not!" Touji said, taking a wad of tissue and stuffing it up his nose.

"Sure you weren't." Kensuke said in a not so believing tone.

"Touji, YOU HENTAI!" Hikari screamed.

"I WASN'T! Kensuke's LYING!" Touji said in his defense.

"I'm sorry! It was just too hilarious to pass up!" Kensuke said, banging his fist on the wall in laughter. In doing this, he knocked over the screen.

"HENTAI!" The half nude Hikari screamed, hitting Kensuke in the face. Realizing that she was uncovered from the waist up, Hikari screamed and covered herself up. Touji, in a panic, hid his head in a trash can so as not to see anything he was not supposed to see, for fear of sharing the same fate as Kensuke.

He forgot that he had already stripped down to his boxers. "I'm not looking!" Touji called.

"I am!" Hikari said, gazing at his butt. Hikari shook her head. "NO! I'M NOT! I'M A GOOD GIRL!" She covered her eyes with her hands quickly. Kensuke got up and looked at Hikari with wide eyes. "HENTAI!" Kensuke flew out of the Changing room, not of his own power.

Hikari quickly pulled up the top of her plugsuit and turned away from Touji. "Okay… I'm changed…" Hikari said in an embarrassed tone. She quickly ran out of the room, face as red as a beet.

***

"And every Child present has a face as red as a beet." Maya reported, a slight smirk on her face. Ritsuko hit herself in the head.

"I don't know how to do this! Why is Commander Ikari making me? God, I wish Misato was here!" Ritsuko cried, glaring at the screen, and yet seeing nothing where a giant Angel should be due to the enormous Blue reading.

"Your prayers have been answered, Doctor Ikagi!" Misato said, entering the room with grace, tripping on a chair, and landing flat on her face.

"Misato! What are YOU doing here? Shouldn't you be in Jail?" Ritsuko asked, shocked.

"No time for explanations. Let's just say that I have been reinstated to my former position." Misato said with a wink. "We have an Angel to fight, remember?"

"That's the problem! We can't see it! There's a Blue Reading, but nothing is there!" Ritsuko explained.

"Maya, zoom in on that position… I have a hunch…" Misato said, a gleam in her eye.

The camera zoomed in slightly to reveal nothing. Misato motioned for her to continue, and the camera kept getting closer.

"Maybe it's invisible?" Ritsuko offered. A small dot appeared in the center of the camera.

"THERE!" Misato yelled. "Focus in on that!"

The screen displayed a perfectly normal eagle flying towards them.

"It's a bird." Maya said blandly.

"If we can take it out before it enlarges…" Misato whispered to herself.

"What?" Ritsuko asked.

"Aim all weaponry at that bird! Shoot it down NOW!" Misato shouted.

Before the command was finish, the bird began fluctuate, and abruptly fill up the whole screen.

"Damn! What's the status on the pilots?" Misato asked quickly.

"All pilots are absent save Hikari, Touji, and Kensuke." Maya reported.

"Who's stupid idea was it to put KENSUKE into an Eva? Never mind… Just launch the Evas…" Misato said, lacking her usual exuberance.

  
End of Chapter 19


	20. Chapter 20

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I was thinking about something trivial and irrelevant about one of the reviews that I received. Since when does "Everyone" consist of Shinji and Asuka? There's quite a few more characters than that. And, in this instance, "Everyone" really only included Shinji. So, in that reviewers opinion, Shinji is everything.

Okay, dude. Listen up. I like Eva just as much as the next guy, but saying that one of the characters {Besides Rei} is everything… well… You do realize that Anime characters aren't real, right? And that no matter how hard you wish, Rei isn't going to appear and beg you to marry her…

Oops… Um… That was just an example, and not the personal desires of the author. While we're on the topic of Rei Worshiping, Chemi-sama spelled Rei "R-A-Y", and should be burned at the stake.

And one more thing. Drac goes into a big spiel in Chapter 2 about the definition of a certain word. Normally, I wouldn't put anything in here to hint, but most of my subtle clues, as I've observed, have gone past your notice…

Chapter 20

"I'm kinda rusty, ya know?" Touji said. "I haven't been in one of these since that accident with the Unit 03."

""You were never in one BEFORE that, either!" Kensuke accused.

"Alright, fine! I have basically no experience piloting an Eva either! Happy?" Touji growled.

"Very." Kensuke said with a grin. Hikari's face appeared on both their screens.

"Have you guys forgotten that we have to fight an Angel? Would it kill you just to be a bit nervous?" Hikari said in a shaking tone.

"Relax, Hikari! There's nothing to worry about. Shinji once took out an Angel single handedly. It can't be too hard!" Touji assured her.

"Misato… Come look at this…" Ritsuko said quietly as she called her over to Maya's display.

"It's emitting electricity. So?" Misato asked blankly.

"This is an EMP pulse. If the Angel gets close enough to the city, it'll fry every single piece of technology in NERV Headquarters. We will be unable to detect Angels. Tell the children to advance on the Angel's position and attack immediately. We'll have to turn off all electricity to the compound as well." Ritsuko said.

"But that would mean that those kids are going to be all alone out there…" Misato said, shocked.

"We'll just have to rely on their judgement." Ritsuko said with a sigh. 

"What about power? What will they do if the power is off? The angel may kill them when they run out." Misato said.

"We'll hook the Evas to the backup power generators. The generators will still fry if the angel gets too close, but the backups are something we can afford to loose. Main power isn't." Ritsuko pointed out.

With a soft grunt, Misato quickly picked up the Mic, and addressed the Eva pilots.

"Alright, guys. Here's the problem. That Angel is emitting an ESP pulse…"

"EMP…" Maya said quietly.

"Whatever! In short, it's going to take out all of our electrical systems, if we don't turn them off right now." Misato explained.

"Actually, that's reasonably longer than just saying EMP pulse…" Makoto said quietly.

"OH, SHUT UP!" Misato growled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hikari asked fearfully.

"It means that you guys are going to be on your own when fighting that angel." Misato said solemnly.

"WHAT?!? What do you mean? You're not going to help us?!?" Hikari exclaimed.

"Be calm, Hikari, because I'm leaving you in charge." Misato said, lacking tact.

"WHAT?! I can't do it! I don't know the first thing about command! Have Touji do it! He's been an Eva pilot longer than me!" Hikari panicked.

"Both Kensuke and Touji are too impulsive. You have to do this Hikari…" Misato said. "I'm sorry I can't help you guys on this battle, but there's no choice…"

"We can handle this, Misato. Don't worry." Touji said calmly just before power went out.

***

"Misato? MISATO?!? Oh, GOD! We're doomed!" Hikari bawled. "Isn't there technology in the EVAS? Won't they short out as well?"

"Actually, the Evas are designed to send any form of Electro-Magnetic Pulses into the ground via…" Kensuke began.

"Shut up, Kensuke!" Touji shouted. Kensuke's picture immediately faded from Hikari's screen.

'How am I going to do this? I don't know any army tactics… I don't know any formations… Why did Misato put ME in charge? If I fail, the world is doomed…' Hikari put her head between her legs.

"Hikari?" Touji's voice called over the comm link.

"I'm all alone out here…" Hikari muttered.

"Hikari…" Touji whispered. "Hikari, you're not alone… You've got me." Touji said, voice filled with emotion.

"Touji…?" Hikari's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, Hikari. How about after all this, we go out to eat together? My treat." Touji said, smiling broadly.

"Sure…" Hikari said, her visage changing to one of happiness.

"IN COMING!" Kensuke shouted before firing several rounds at the creature. Hikari, who wasn't paying attention, caught the full force of the Angel's first swoop. Unit 07 flew into a building and, the building lacking the structural integrity to resist such an impact, through it. Eva 07 slid to a halt on the ground, motionless.

"HIKARIIIIIII!" Touji cried out. Hikari watched with horror as Touji's Eva roared with him. Unit 06 launched itself at the angel violently, stabbing at it with its progressive knife. Unit 06 was knocked back by a gust of wind, and he fell to the ground.

Right behind him was the dead lion Angel, onto which he fell. He pierced his midsection on a piece of its mane, and thrashed violently to get off it.

Hikari was appalled by what had just happened to Touji. She had never realized it before, but she knew that she loved Touji. She found it a queer place to realize that you love someone, but it didn't matter, anyway. 

Touji was kind, sweet, and caring. She wouldn't let him die just when she began to love him. And that monster was trying to kill her Touji.

***

Kensuka watched the display with bitter amazement. First Touji, then Hikari. They both went berserker at the same time. And all Kensuke could do, much to his chagrin, was watch them beat the living shit out of the Eva.

But then Kensuke remembered something. Whenever an Eva went berserk, they always ejected the umbilical cord. No one could do that now…

So Kensuke took it upon himself to cancel the flow of energy to the Evas. With one swift motion, Kensuke sliced Unit 06's umbilical cord with his progressive knife. With another slash, he cut the cord on Unit 07. Kensuke sat back and watched the Melee.

Hikari's eva had already gotten off the ground and began its attack, while Touji's had removed itself from the dead angel and regenerated itself. After which, it renewed its assault. Unit 06 cut the angel under its left wing, while Unit 07 cut it under its right. Wingless, the creature plummeted to the ground. It got up on its claws and let out a deafening screech. 

The two other evas, who were close to the monster went completely motionless, as if paralyzed. Kensuke decided to do something about that as well. Picking up his rifle, he shot the large bird cleanly in the throat, taking out its vocal cords.

Before Kensuke even knew what was going on, two progressive knives flew upward at the exact same time, and pierced the angel's core. After the angel fell to the ground, the two evas turned their gaze to Kensuke with a look of hatred.

"Umm… Guys? It's me! KENSUKE!" Kensuke backed away from them slowly. Just before they leaped at him, however, the Units shut down. Kensuke was very glad that he had cut those cords.

***

"I can't BELIEVE you! You're doing all this stuff without okaying it with any of me!" One Asuka complained.

"I don't know… I think he has a nice butt…" Another of them said casually.

"You think EVERY guy has a nice butt! And some GIRLS, too!" Declared yet a third.

"Enough!" Declared the fourth one, obviously the one with seniority, for all of them grew silent. "The Heart is accused of, in a moment of weakness, taking advantage of the whole by acting on her own selfish desires. The Body may speak first." The second Asuka stepped forward, and directed its words towards the fourth.

"He is VERY cute. I like his face, it's smooth and roundish, and, as I've said before, he has a VERY nice butt…" The body stepped backward. "Mind, go right ahead."

"Though it is true that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Ikari Shinji's physical appearance, his mental status leaves little to be desired. He is intelligent, and for that, I give him credit, but he can't think on his feet. He hesitates, and it sometimes costs him." The Mind stepped back. "Your turn, Spirit."

Shinji realized that they were arguing about him. Part of Asuka wanted to be with him, while the other part wanted nothing to do with him. This was Asuka's inner conflict, a battle of which she did not look like she was winning.

"He is a WEAKLING! He's always whining, and saying, 'I'm sorry!" this and "I'm sorry!" that! He gets on my nerves so much, I just want to throttle him! If it were up to me, I'd have him killed!" The spirit stepped back. "Go, ahead, you little traitor." The Asuka in the middle stood from her kneeling position, and looked at The fourth Asuka with tears in her eyes.

"My Soul, every day I am around Shinji-kun, I feel extreme joy. Every moment I am away from him, I feel extreme pain. His smile brightens my life, and his tears make me wish I were dead. Every time I hold his hand, I feel a warmth inside of me that I can't describe. This, however, is not a feeling of the heart."

"This is YOUR feeling, My soul. And you know that Shinji and I were meant to be. Our souls intertwine perfectly. His heart and mine are as the same. Even My Body declares that she likes Shinji. It all depends on you, My soul. What do you choose?" Asuka's Heart returned to her kneeling position, and dropped her head to look at the ground.

"In spite of the feelings that heart has felt…" Asuka's Soul stopped abruptly.

She rose her head high, and, with a swift motion, pointed to Shinji. This startled him greatly, causing him to jump back.

"What are you doing here?" The soul demanded. Shinji reared back.

"Umm… Well…" Shinji shrugged. The Soul stepped forward, and looked Shinji in the eye. It was at this time that Shinji realized that Asuka's soul was a full grown woman, the others, merely children. This Asuka lead them down the true path when she could, but if they all wanted to go down another, then she could do nothing…

And when it was her choice, she always chose the true path.

"In accordance to the vow I promised to Kaoru…" Soul began quietly.

"I never actually said that I would…" Mind began, but was silenced by the raise of Soul's hand. Soul still hadn't pulled her eyes away from Shinji's.

"I cast my vote with the Heart. Three votes against two. That is all." Every Asuka disappeared save one. The one who had still not removed her eyes from Shinji's gaze.

"We meet again. How do you fare? Is your soul still pure, my love?" She asked, turning her eyes away. "Your Father knew what he was doing. Do not loose hope, nor faith. Kaoru wouldn't answer one question that you asked. Why was he answering your questions to begin with?" Asuka said.

"Kaoru is the Messenger of God for this World now. He gives information to those of whom pass the test and, to the worthy, he awakens their soul. However, you did not go through any test, so you wonder." Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Am I correct, my love?"

"Yes." Shinji said, his voice lacking his usual stammer.

"Kaoru's reasoning for this is simple. You outrank him." Asuka said frankly. "Of course, it is merely your soul that outranks him, and your soul has not been awakened yet. Kaoru will not awaken your soul, for it is not the time…" Asuka paused to gather her thoughts.

"Generally, God does not send Angels to Earth, save as Guardian angels. However, for one time only, he made an exception with Drac. Drac's Soul was that of an Archangel's. God feared that a mere Guardian Angel would not be enough for Ayanami Rei, so he created a boy that would help guide her."

"However, YOU my love, are completely different. YOU were sent to guide the entire planet. I, sadly, cannot tell you the full extent of what you are, for you must either learn it for yourself, or wait until your soul is awakened. If you learn of it now, the results for Asuka will be disastrous. She is also an integral part of the plan to halt SEELE's actions, and if you were to know everything, then it would hurt her more than you could ever know." 

"Asuka herself doesn't know the full truth. Only I do. Usually, the 5 parts of one's whole are NOT separated in the mind, but Asuka is in a state of great inner conflict. About you. SEELE worked hard to put her in this state, and if she doesn't come out of it, SEELE will win."

"Why are we so set upon SEELE's failure? I thought that when Brian took it over, it became good." Shinji said.

"You have to learn to notice the small hints of life, Shinji-kun. Did you know that all the members of SEELE save Kaji know how to play the Trumpet? And they are planning to have Misato Join as one of the leaders there." Asuka said.

"Relevancy?" Shinji asked blankly.

"If your soul was awakened, you would know what it meant. However, since it has NOT, I believe that you should start reading some scripture. I suggest that you start with the book of John, and then move on to Revelations. And one more thing before you go, Shinji-kun. Asuka cannot follow the path of righteousness that you follow. I ask you not to force her."

With that, Asuka faded away, and the scenery of blood flowed down to the ground, becoming nothing. 

"I am sure that she told you more than you needed to know, but I am hoping that she did not tell you everything." Kaoru said casually.

"Must everything be cryptic?" Shinji asked.

"For you, yes. If you knew, then… But you have heard enough of this, haven't you? The same sentence, only in different wording. If you can find your answers, then that's great. If not, then you will learn it soon enough. And don't mention what I did to Asuka. She wouldn't be too happy if she found me messing with her mind."

"But I didn't do anything…" Shinji began.

"On the contrary. Your mere presence changed the decision of Asuka's Soul. You are soul mates, though your souls haven't met since… And yet again, I say too much. Fare thee well, Shinji. And enjoy what life has to offer." Kaoru bowed and began to leave but Shinji called out after him.

"What about Asuka? How can I help her?" Shinji said.

"I've showed you how. Now, you must attempt it for yourself. Things to do, souls to save." Kaoru said, not stopping in his path. Shinji was about to object, but he found himself hurled away from that world of nothingness and into his own.

Shinji opened his eyes slowly to observe Asuka lying next to him, still in her traumatic state. Kaoru had shown him what was wrong with her, and how he could help. Her mother's death had turned her into this nervous wreck, combined with the fact that her guardian had just met the same fate.

"OH MY GOD! THERE'S A DEAD BODY IN MY ROOM!" Shinji heard a familiar voice scream out at the top of her lungs. Shinji ran in to the bedroom so see Misato approaching the body. "Pastor Resit… My God…" Misato covered her face to hide the tears rolling down her cheek

"Misato?" Shinji asked quietly, not looking at the corpse.

"Shinji… What…" Misato said, gesturing at the pastor. Shinji looked away from where she had pointed, not willing to look.

"I-I don't know… Th-the blood a-and…" Shinji felt himself weaken. "A-Asuka… She…" Shinji pointed to her room.

"Shinji… Are you okay?" Misato asked in her standard motherly tone. Shinji let his gaze fall to the ground. Shinji realized that he was being weak again, something that he had gone to great lengths to avoid.

"I'm… I'm fine, Misato, but Asuka is terrible." Shinji said, raising his voice slightly.

"Asuka saw this…?" Misato said in shock.

"Yes… She is petrified with shock right now…" Shinji said weakly, pointing yet again to her room. "The police should have been here an hour ago." Misato nodded slowly, looking at Shinji with a questioning look before heading to Asuka's room, obviously wondering about the drastic change from Shinji's normal behavior.

Misato bent down to Asuka's bedside, and immediately dropped her head. "She had a problem in her past, Shinji…"

"I know, Misato… About her mother…" Shinji said kneeling on the other side of the bed. Misato was startled once again.

"She told you?" Misato asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, sort of…" Shinji said, not making eye contact. Shinji heard sirens off in the distance. "That's probably the police now…" Shinji said quietly.

"I'll take care of it. Watch Asuka for now, okay Shinji?" Misato instructed him. After Misato left, Shinji heard a soft squawk from the direction of the kitchen, signifying that Pen Pen had been awakened by the noise. He slowly waddled into Asuka's room with peaking interest.

"Hey, Pen Pen, Misato's back. Maybe you should go talk to her. I'll bet you have a lot of catching up to do. She's downstairs." Shinji said to him. With that, Pen Pen darted out of the room.

Shinji crawled back under the blankets and pulled Asuka to his chest, trying to reassure her.

'I can help her…' Shinji said, kissing her lightly on the forehead. 'Somehow…'

When Shinji opened his eyes again, he was in a place of complete and utter darkness. Not as it was with Kaoru, but more of a sinister blackness of nightmares…

"YOU ARE PATHETIC!" Screamed Asuka at herself. "You promised yourself that you wouldn't cry… And LOOK at yourself! A mindless vegetable, curled up in weak, spineless, baka Shinji's arms! What would Kaji say if he saw this? What would Misato say?

"I'll tell you what they'd say! They'd say, 'Poor Asuka," and look at you with pity. PITY! Pity is only for those who are pathetic! But, then again, you have gotten to be such, haven't you?" Asuka scolded herself.

"Asuka… You are wrong. The Pathetic are those who decide that they don't need anyone." Shinji informed her. Asuka turned to see Shinji, and immediately glared with fury.

"Coming from the pathetic coward! You know nothing of courage or integrity! You go running of to get attention! You NEED pity! I neither need, nor WANT it!" Asuka screamed.

"You are so stubborn that you deny yourself. You may not want it, but you need it. It's there, the need, and it drives you insane. But what you think is pity, you are wrong in that as well. Do you think I feel pity for you, seeing you curled up in a ball, crying your heart out?" Shinji asked. Asuka backed away.

"Y-yes…" She said quietly.

"It's not. I feel concern. Fear. I think that you are in pain somehow. I want to help you. I fear that you will never come back to me, to the way you were before. The thought of never hearing you lugh again… Would that trigger pity in you, Asuka, if you felt that you had lost one of your loved ones?" Shinji asked, maintaining his calm.

Asuka, for seemingly no reason, lashed out at Shinji with her palm, smacking him in the face. Shinji's head jerked to the side, yet he remained unfazed.

"Asuka, I do pity you. You deny your feelings to the point of which you turn on those you love, solely to prove that you don't need anyone else. That you are the Great Asuka Langley Sohryu. That you need nothing and no one. You are pathetic." Shinji turned and began to walk away, hoping that what he had done would make a difference.

"Shinji…" Asuka clenched her fist. "BAKA!" She smacked Shinji in the face again, but this time followed by a ravenous, hungry kiss, demanding Shinji to be with her…

Shinji opened his eyes slowly, gazing at Asuka's face. What had once been a grief stricken, tormented face, now had eased into a soft, contented one. Shinji smiled slightly, brushing a stray hair that had fallen across her face…

Asuka slowly opened her eyes, to meet Shinji's. Shinji was so nice to her, and yet all she could manage to do was bring him pain… But she didn't care. As long as Shinji wanted her, she would be there for him. As long as he held out his hand for her, she would hold onto it. As long as he loved her…

She would love him as long as he loved her, and for an eternity afterwards…

End of Chapter 20


	21. Chapter 21

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Writer's block! Dack!!! I hate it! GRRRRRRRRRRR! I was caught in a huge writer's block for Chapter 20 and 21, and was stuck there for a while too, but there was one special person that helped me out of it. I'm sure you don't know about whom I'm talking of, and I doubt that you'll even read this, but thanks.

Also, I once received a review concerning everything I do with Drac, and how I should have given some of this plot to Shinji or Allen. I couldn't do this solely for the fact that there are many things I still have hidden about Allen and Shinji in this story that I don't want anyone to know about yet.

Chapter 21

"Good morning, Drac." Rei said, clasping his hand tightly. Drac sat up slightly, and looked at Rei slowly.

"What happened?" Drac asked, dazed. Rei became slightly nervous, trying to look elsewhere than his eyes.

"It was sort of bad… The doctor said you'd be alright, but I think he's hiding something." Rei said, looking down at her shoes.

"Well, I'm awake now. And I feel fine. Let's head out now, shall we?" Drac said, jumping from his bed.

"But the doctor said that you were on life support just yesterday…" Rei said, concerned. Drac shook his head, and put an arm around Rei's waist.

"I heal fast. Don't worry. I'm fine." He said, kissing her cheek. Rei blushed slightly, then nodded in agreement.

"Alright… I'll check you out, then." Rei said, leading them to the main counter.

"Why do I have to be well in order for you to check me out?" Drac smiled evilly, causing Rei to blush a second time. Changing to a more serious tone, Drac smiled slightly. "Have you been sitting by my bed the whole time, Rei?" Rei blushed, and looked at her feet.

"Most of the time, yes…" Rei said, squeezing his hand tighter. "I was afraid that you were hurt, and… I didn't want you to die again…"

"Don't worry. I'm alive. And I plan on staying that way. I won't leave you alone in this world." Drac said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Drac…" Rei whispered quietly, as they approached the desk. Surprisingly, the man at the desk was the doctor who treated Drac.

"Oh, yes. Miss Ayanami, I need to speak with you privately for a moment." The doctor said, motioning to a room. "About the boy's condition."

"Okay. Wait right here for me, Drac." She said, reluctantly releasing Drac's hand.

"Don't be too long." Drac said, taking a seat in one of the chairs in the waiting room. Rei followed the doctor into a room that was completely white, with a sofa and two chairs. Another man stood in the room, a person Rei recognized as the new pastor at Drac's church.

"Pastor Bren?" Rei asked, confused. "Why are you here?"

"This is about your boyfriend. I found out when I looked at the boy's X-rays. I think it's complicated, but Pastor Bren seemed all too willing to explain it to me when I asked for advice…" The doctor trailed off, sitting down in the chair. He motioned to the sofa. "You should be sitting down for this." The doctor warned.

'What is he saying about me?' Drac asked, suspicious.

'I don't know yet. He seems very nervous, and he's having Pastor Bren explain.' Rei said, sitting on the sofa.

'Bren? What does he have to do with anything?' Drac asked.

'I'm afraid I can't have you listen in on this conversation, Drac. Sorry.' Bren said, cutting the link between her and Drac. Rei's eyes grew wide, feeling the emptiness of drac's absence. 

"What did you just do…?" Rei asked, terrified.

"Something temporary. It will last a few minutes." Bren said, crossing his legs. "Now, concerning Drac, I think it's time that you fully understand what he is." Bren said calmly.

"Alright. What is he then? Something more than a clone?" Rei asked, slowly adopting her previous attitude, lacking emotion.

"I'll start at the beginning." Bren said. "You were created as per the specifications of a Clone type A, and Drac is Clone type B, right?" Rei nodded confirmation.

"Do you know what it takes to have a Type B clone?" Bren asked. Rei shook her head. "A Type B clone has very little in difference with a Type A clone. A Clone must have its soul awakened to be summoned back, correct? Type A and B only specify how fully the soul is awakened."

"You are now a Type B clone, same as Drac. However, that's where the similarity between you two end." Bren said, leaning forward. "When you were first created, God sent a Guardian Angel in the form of a boy to protect you. The soul's name was Omni, an Archangel."

"Later, he was entangled in NERV's web, and his own Step-father began to experiment on him. For this, he used an artificial Organ known as Fujaniko, or Fuja, in order to alter his soul. The result is what we call Drac."

"Drac was altered, Rei. He used to be an angel. Now, he's… Something else. Brad hoped that Drac would be the one in the end to finish everything. We also hoped that Drac would win, but now, we stack all of our chips with Shinji. Shinji is the only one that can take us down the desired path…"

"What is wrong with Shinji?" Rei asked in a monotone voice.

"That, I can't tell you. Shinji is complicated. But the reason I told you all of this… I don't think you had all the information necessary to do what you must do." Bren said.

"What I must do?" Rei asked.

"You have to keep Drac from Lilith. From Lilith and Gendo. If Drac ever touches either of them, then he will trigger the end. The world is not ready for what would happen. So please, do what you promised Kaoru you would. That's all I ask." Bren said, standing, and leaving.

Rei looked up, and realized that the Doctor hadn't moved in some time.

"Doctor?" Rei asked. When the doctor didn't respond, she stood, and checked his body. When she touched him, it felt like she had been electrocuted, and she was thrown against the wall, knocking her unconscious.

***

"Shinji…" Asuka whispered quietly, stirring him from his sleep. Shinji opened his eyes slowly, and was surprised to see nothing but hers. Her blue eyes captured him; encased him in a shell of happiness and warmth…

"Yes, Asuka?" Shinji asked, lost in her eyes. Asuka moved closer to him, resting her head on his chest, clinging to him desperately.

"You won't leave me, will you Shinji?" She asked quietly, tears beginning to flow down her cheek.

"Where did this come from?" Shinji asked softly, yet in a tone of surprise.

"Mama… Then Kaji… Then the pastor… They left me… You won't leave me, will you? I can stand anything else, but I can't stand to loose you… Not after all this…" Asuka wept into his chest with fear.

"Don't worry, Asuka. I'll be here for you. I'll always be here…" Shinji said running a hand through her hair and kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Thank you, Shinji…" Asuka said quietly, smiling slightly and closing her eyes in sleep.

***

Allen lay in his bed, looking to the sky, though the ceiling made such impossible. For some reason, he felt a foreboding feeling pass over him… Something to cause his spine shutter…

He had been released from the jail, with their apologies, as he was an Eva Pilot. Yumi had left for her house to make sure everything was alright with her family, and he was left alone in his apartment.

Allen noticed that the hair from Yumi's cat had clung to his clothes, so he began his vain efforts to brush it off. Allen felt his head begin to spin…

Catherine dove into the car after her family, taking a seat next to Cara. When Cara was nicely seated, she sat on her lap, and curled up until her head nearly touched the beginning of her tail. After about fifteen minutes, she was interrupted from her spot when Cara unbuckled her seatbelt. She moved off her lap, and saw Cara exit the car. She swiftly followed, trying to stay out of sight of the other people.

Everyone entered a building, and Catherine followed. Her family sat in a corner of a large room, and Catherine joined them. Loud noises were coming from outside, and Catherine felt something strange approaching. Something scary. Two weird looking men came by and pointed at Catherine, making loud noises.

Cara said something else, and the men walked away with anger. Catherine felt the scary thing come closer, and she began to hiss at it. Cara picked Catherine up, and began to whisper soothing words to her. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large bird head smashed through the ceiling, crushing everyone in the room…

Allen jerked awake, sweating greatly, wondering what that was, when he heard a knock on the door. He stood, and put some pants on, before answering it. Upon opening the door, he found Yumi, crying. Allen was about to ask what was wrong, but then realized the truth.

The dream he had was real.

He took Yumi into a deep embrace, clutching her to his chest comfortingly.

***

"Shinji, what are you doing?" Asuka asked inquisitively. Shinji looked up and flashed her the cover of the book he was reading. Asuka nearly frowned, but hid it with a smile quickly. "Oh… Yeah… I should get myself a Bible too, but I just don't know where to get one!" Asuka faked. Shinji nodded slightly, signifying that he hadn't been paying attention.

"Shinji…" Asuka fumed, looking for what was so damned interesting in a 2000-year-old book. Shinji had it turned to Revelations. "What are you reading about?" Asuka asked, now slightly curious. Shinji had been reading Revelations before. Not only that, but he was farther ahead before than he was now. That meant that he had read it over again, and was looking for something specific in the book…

"Someone recommended a certain passage to me, and I'm trying to find it." Shinji said, looking at Asuka slightly. Something was up with that look. A secretive look… He was hiding something from her…

"Any way I can help?" Asuka asked, laying over him, arms wrapped around his neck. Shinji coughed slightly, squirming.

"Um… Not at this moment… I, ah…" Shinji said before Asuka took the book from him. She quickly flipped through the pages and pointed out a random Verse near the end.

"'I am Alpha and Omega. The First and the Last. The Beginning and the End.'" Asuka read quickly, reading English better than Kanji. "Did that help?" Asuka asked, still browsing through the book.

"Um… Not especially…" Shinji said, trying to take his book back slowly.

"'Happy are those who wash their robes'… I don't get it… Are they saying if you don't wear clean underwear, that you're going to Hell?" Asuka said thumbing through the book again. "Here it is again! 'First and the last, the beginning and the end.' Why do they need to repeat themselves?" Asuka said, holding it just out of Shinji's reach.

"I don't know! Who are we to question the work of God?" Shinji asked, trying to take the book from her.

"But this wasn't written by God, it was written by a bunch of guys who hung around with his son." Asuka said, scanning the book more. "'Anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life…' At the end of this… Yup. Anyone who doesn't wear clean underwear will pe put in 'The lake burning with fire and sulfur'. This thing is so MORBID!" Asuka said, flipping forward in the book.

"Um… Asuka, can I have my book back please?" Shinji asked, ignored.

"It goes on and on like this! How is ANYONE supposed to understand what these guys are SAYING?" Asuka complained. "No wonder they need theology majors for religion! You have to GUESS at what these guys THINK that they're saying!"

"My book?" Shinji asked, tugging on the sleeve of her shirt.

"YOUR book? I thought the Bible belonged to EVERYONE!" Asuka countered.

"Yes, but I paid the money for THIS PARTICULAR Bible, and my name is on the cover." Shinji said matter-of-factly. Asuka pushed him down onto the bed, and snuggled into his arms. 

"Can I read it WITH you…?" Asuka asked with puppy dog eyes. Shinji took the book from her, closed it, and set it on his desk.

"I'm obviously not going to get anywhere with YOU around." Shinji teased.

"But I'm a PLEASANT diversion, aren't I, Shinji-kun…?" Asuka whispered into his ear before nibbling it softly.

***

Cara opened her eyes and looked around. She saw nothing but carnage. Rubble fell everywhere, killing everyone. 

Except her.

The ceiling had fallen in such a way as to not even touch her. Everyone else was dead… 

Except her.

Cara slowly climbed out of the 'hole', for that was what it looked to be, as the rubble was in a perfect circle around her…

She noticed two detached umbilical cords a few hundred yards to the east, and a large pit, probably caused by an explosion, to her west. There were ambulances arriving on the scene, and by the time she left the carnage completely, they had began to dig into the building wreckage.

Mother had just left for work a while ago, so she was safe, but Cara wasn't sure about Yumi.

She called the house, using her cellphone, hoping that Yumi would answer. Realizing that she would probably be at Allen's place, she called there. After 12 rings, it was answered. 

"Hello?" Allen asked, not at all happy to be called.

"Is Yumi there…?" Cara asked, almost in a daze.

"Cara…?" Allen asked, astonished. Hearing quite a commotion on the other side, Cara waited patiently for Yumi to answer the phone.

"Cara?! Are you alright? What about Dad? Is Rico okay? What's going on?!" Yumi asked panicked.

"Their dead…" Cara said softly, hardly even hearing what she was saying. "They're gone… All of them…" Cara said, feeling her emotions drain out of her.

"Cara…?" Yumi asked. "We'll come get you. Just wait right there, okay?" Yumi instructed.

"Okay…" Cara said quietly. Yumi hung up the phone, leaving Cara to listen to the steady beeping of the phone…

***

'They left me… They all left me… First Greg and Mom to their work… Then Drew and Dad and Rico to Death… Yumi has been taken away by Allen…' Cara thought as Yumi led her by the hand. 'I'm all alone… Please don't leave me alone… Drew… Why didn't you say goodbye?'

"Because I knew we'd see each other again." Drew said, standing in front of them. Yumi fell backwards, and drew the gun that she kept in her boot pocket.

"WHAT ARE YOU?!?" Yumi screamed at the top of her lungs. "Drew died protecting Drac and Rei! What are you!?!" Yumi screamed pointing the gun at him. For the first time, Cara noticed the wings that were protruding from his back. The wings slowly drew in upon themselves, and disappeared into his back.

"I am not dead. I'm finally alive. But…" Drew looked into Cara's eyes. "Cara… I'd rather be dead… Then live without you…" Yumi fired one shot at Drew, who caught with his bare hand.

"What the hell…?" Yumi whispered.

"Quite the opposite, Yumi." Drew said, dropping the bullet to the ground. "I'll let that one slide because we were partners at one point, but I won't put up with it a second time." Yumi dropped the gun, and slid it away, totally baffled as to what was going on.

Allen kicked Drew in the head, sending him into a wall.

"Don't threaten Yumi. I don't care WHAT you are. I won't let you hurt her." Allen said adopting a martial arts pose. Without a second thought, Drew aimed his palm at Allen and brought forth a lance of energy to incinerate him.

"Don't threaten ME, mortal." Drew said in a particularly cold voice. "Enjoy Hell." Drew said before turning his gaze to Yumi. "Leave." He said in a dominant tone. Yumi grabbed the gun quickly and fired several shots.

"RUN, CARA!!!" Yumi screamed, charging at Drew. Drew backhanded her into, and through, a brick wall. Cara stood motionless, not taking his eyes off Drew. Drew stepped forward and took Cara's hand firmly, as to establish the fact that this was real.

"Drew…?" Cara asked quietly.

"Yeah. It's me…" Drew said with a faint smile. She slowly fell into his embrace, clinging to his chest as if he were about to disappear. Drew's wings slowly came forth, propelling him upwards, away from the scene before them.

***

Shinji awoke to a sound in the hall. Someone was lightly tapping on the door to Asuka's room. Shinji opened it and was surprised to find an equally baffled Misato on the other side.

"What are you doing in Asuka's room, Shinji…?" Misato asked, still confused.

"…Sleeping…" Shinji said as if it were obvious.

"In her room…?" Misato asked.

"Yeeees…" Shinji said, noticing that Misato had lost her clue. "You've been gone for a while, haven't you?"

"Shinji, why are you sleeping in Asuka's room?!" Misato demanded.

"Why are you knocking on her door in the middle of the night?!" Shinji countered.

"Shinji's sleeping in my room 'cuz he's boinking me! Now shut up and let us sleep!" Asuka screamed from under her pillow.

"S-she's only kidding, Misato! W-we didn't do anything!" Shinji said, adopting his stutter once again.

"Oh, yeah we did! All night long!!! I rode him all night! It was a wild ride! Yeeeeeeeeeeeha!" Asuka said, still under her pillow. Shinji had, by this time, turned redder than her hair.

"W-what did you want, Misato…?" Shinji asked meekly. Misato took a deep breath and but a suitcase into the room.

"Fit a change of clothes into the suitcase. We're heading out. I can't tell you where we're going, or why. Just… Please hurry. We haven't got much time left…" Misato said, rushing out of the room, leaving both Asuka and Shinji blinking.

***

"I told you they'd do it. Now The Third Child has escaped, and we lost three of our most trusted associates." Kibby said, taking a swing out of his 64 oz he had picked up at the gas station before the meeting.

"I agree. It was a dumb move, Brian." Rachel said, leaning lightly against the table

"True, but we couldn't have had the meeting without them." Mara said, gazing at the picture of her family.

"A smart move or not," Michael said, "We have lost Kaji, Misato, and Harper. Harper, we may get back, but we've lost two of our best people. This had better work, Brian."

"If it doesn't, then what? Will you kill me? Sorry, but that threat just doesn't phase me anymore, Michael." Brian said. "If this doesn't work, then either the universe will be destroyed, or everyone will be saved. It's all a matter of who wins out first. And Shinji, in my eyes, doesn't stand a chance." To this, everyone agreed…

End of Chapter 21


	22. Chapter 22

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Fanfiction.net has been down for a while… If you've been reading my story as of late, you've probably been getting it through my webpage at [www.geocities.com/knapdaddy][1], because I haven't been able to post. But now, I will answer a few questions of the people who reviewed my story.

This is LOOSELY based on Eva's original plot. I know that Evangelion was not based on Revelations in the Bible, but that's what this fanfic is LOOSELY based on. This is something I do for fun, and also, to the comment of not everyone gets a boy/girlfriend and lives happily ever after, I am not finished with the story yet… :D

Chapter 22

"Where is this, Misato?" Shinji asked, looking out the window of the building. It was a 2-story building that looked like a normal, every day house of an upper middle class family. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a family room, and a living room.

"We're in Osaka, Japan. We'll be hiding out here for a while." She said as she looked through some papers she had put on the dining room table. "Something's happened at SEELE, and they're after you, Shinji." Shinji jerked back in surprise.

"ME? Why me?!" Shinji said, rather upset. Misato sighed and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "It's best that you don't know about any of this. It would only upset you further…" Misato said before returning to her papers. Shinji nodded and went upstairs to talk to Asuka.

Asuka had been going in and out of the two bedrooms on the top floor, appraising them for which room that she would like to sleep in. Shinji observed her doing this for several minutes before she went in between the two rooms and sat down, stumped.

"I'm not sure which one I want. The one on the left is bigger, but the one on the right has more closet space…" Asuka explained to Shinji.

"Um… Asuka… We'll be sleeping in the rooms… DOWNstairs…" Shinji informed her.

"WHAT?! THAT'S NOT FAIR!! Why does MISATO get the Master Bedroom?" Asuka complained.

"Well… Had you been paying attention… You would know that Kaji would be living here too, as well as Mister Harper." Shinji said, pointing out Asuka's inattentiveness. Asuka became severely confused.

"When did she tell you this?" Asuka asked, standing up.

"After you charged up the stairs to decide which bedroom you'd have." Shinji said with a grin.

"Well, come on! Spill the beans! What's going on?" Asuka said, a slight irritation in her voice.

"Well, this is how I understood it, anyway…" Shinji cleared his throat. "Misato had us move here for a reason that she wouldn't tell me. It had something to do with SEELE. We are here, pretending to be a family. Misato and Kaji are our mother and father, and Harper is your grandfather."

"Alright. First of all, Misato is WAY too young to be my mother…" Asuka began to complain.

"No, she looks younger than she really is." Shinji gave Misato's excuse.

"Second of all, no one in their right minds would believe that I'm Misato's Daughter! Red hair and blue eyes tend to stand out in a Japanese society." Asuka said.

"Sorry, Asuka, but you're adopted." Shinji said with a smirk, putting a consoling arm around her shoulders.

"But… Why is Harper here? What does he have to do with all this?" Asuka asked.

"I don't know. All I know is… They're after me." Shinji said.

"So… What was Misato's reason for dragging me along?" Asuka asked as they headed down the stairs to the bedrooms on the lower level.

"They might use you to get to me." Shinji said, looking down at the ground. Asuka grabbed his hand tenderly, a look of compassion on her face.

"Well, I'm here now, and you're here with me. It's no different then when we were at the apartment. And our rooms are right next to each other. It'll be great! Think of it! The family that we never had! We'll have a chance to experience normal a Childhood!" Asuka said with a smile.

"Asuka, we're brother and sister." Shinji pointed out. Asuka pushed that fact aside.

"I'm adopted. It's not inbreeding. So we'll be fine." Asuka said, leaning close to him.

"Uh… A-Asuka, m-maybe we should…" Shinji stammered as she began to nibble on his ear.

"Asuka," Kaji said as he came around the corner. "You know that you're brother and sister, right?" Kaji popped out a cigarette and began to smoke.

"I'm adopted, remember DAD?" Asuka said, sliding away from Shinji slowly.

"True, true." He said, taking a long buff, and exhaling deeply. Misato took his pack of cigarettes as well as his lighter.

"Sorry, but you don't smoke, do you honey?" Misato asked firmly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kaji said with a heavy sigh.

"We're going incognito, remember? One less thing for them to compare us to our profiles." Misato said, leaving. Kaji, looking depressed followed her to the dining room.

"Now that they're gone…" Asuka said, dragging Shinji into one of the rooms and closing the door. "We can have some ALONE time…" Asuka said, pushing him onto the bed and laying on top of him.

"Um… Asuka…" Shinji began to protest, but was cut off by a long kiss.

***

Allen slowly stood from where he had been sent into the wall.

'What was that?' Allen asked himself, as he looked around for Yumi.

The large beam of energy went flying at Allen, threatening to incinerate him. However, at the last moment, he recalled a very black veil block the blast. Though the shield prevented his death, it did not prevent him from being thrown into the wall, knocking him unconscious…

He walked over to the wall on the opposite side of the street, and examined the large hole in it. Luckily for Yumi, the wall was weak, or she would have broken her spine. Allen picked her up out of the rubble and placed her on the sidewalk. He checked for a pulse, which she had one.

He checked for broken bones, of which she had one rib broken. Her face was covered with bruises and lacerations from the rubble, and a small trail of blood from her scalp signified a small concussion. Allen gently picked her up, so as not to disturb her chest, and took her to the nearest hospital.

His eyes met with Drac's. Everything went still. Drac, obviously not wanting to trigger a confrontation, left the room with a scowl. Allen reported to the clerk that Yumi was injured, and put her on one of the beds in the waiting room.

The hospital was busy that day, as many people were lined up in the waiting room. Some lacking arms and legs, some with large dents in their heads, but most of them were minor injuries.

Allen sat by Yumi and brushed the hair out of her eyes. Kissing her lightly on the forehead, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep…

***

When Allen entered the hospital, Drac noticed that both he and Yumi were severely injured. The large piece of rubble protruding from Allen's head signified as such, but he walked as though he didn't even feel it…

He met Allen's glare and, not wanting to start a confrontation in Allen's weakened state, walked away from him to check on Rei. Rei had been in that room for an hour, and he was beginning to get worried. When he entered the room, he saw Rei on the floor, staggering to get up.

"Rei!" Drac shouted as he rushed to her side. "Are you alright?" The moment he touched her, he felt their mental link return.

"I'm fine… What happened…? I felt like I was electrocuted…" Rei said, standing with Drac's help. "I think the Doctor got hit too…" Drac let Rei lean against the wall as he checked the motionless doctor for any sign of life.

"He's dead." Drac said, letting his head drop. "Are you fine to leave?" Drac asked emotionlessly.

"Yeah… I guess…" Rei said, leaning on Drac for support. When they reentered the waiting room, he noticed that Allen had fallen asleep. Drac slapped him across the face, awakening him.

"You moron. When you have a concussion, you don't take a nap." Drac said venomously.

"What?" Allen asked.

"Have you noticed the small piece of brick protruding from your skull?" Drac asked, pointing to his head.

"Oh." Allen said, taking the brick out of his head.

"Look, maybe you should head to NERV. You'll get more luck there than here." Drac said, beginning to leave. Before he left, he added, "You were supposed to protect my best friend, you bastard."

***

"Our first day of school in a new city! What do you think I should wear, YUU?" Asuka asked, putting emphasis on Shinji's fake name. Everyone living there was given fake names so as to hide their real identities. The family was given the surname Yoshimoto, and everyone was also given different first names to respond to.

"I don't know. I don't have a fashion sense. Ask Misato. She'd know." Shinji said, picking at the TV dinner laid before him. Misato was named Hina, Kaji was named Tsuba, Asuka's name was Diana, and Harper's name was Steve Carrey.

"But should I dress like, "Sorry guys, but I'm taken!" or "Come and get me, boys!"? " Asuka asked concerning the dress code free school. Hina and Tsuba adopted Diana Carrey to be their daughter so that their son would have a sibling. Diana's parents had died in a plane crash, while she was heading to Okinawa for a vacation.

"I think the former would be more appropriate given your relationship as of now." Shinji said, sniffing loudly to show his discontent. After a few years, Diana's Grandfather, Steve, found that Diana was alive and well. He went to Okinawa to get it straitened out. Finding that she didn't wish to leave the Yoshimoto family, he agreed to live with them in Japan.

"Yes, but my boyfriend has rapidly become my brother. If I came to school kissing my brother, I'd be getting some weird looks." Asuka corrected. Sadly, however, Tsuba lost his job in Okinawa, so they had to go elsewhere. He received a job offer from a company in Osaka, and took up the job offer. The family moved to Osaka, where Hina got a job working at a florist shop, and Steve got a job in Osaka too.

"You were adopted. It's not inbreeding." Shinji said, getting slightly peeved about the fact that Asuka might be dating other guys behind his back. And so now the play begins, where they have just moved in to their new house.

"MOM says that we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore." Asuka said, pushing away the empty container of her dinner.

"Well, MOM can go shove it. DAD says it's fine." Shinji said, actually getting visibly angry. This shocked Asuka greatly, as Shinji very rarely got aggressive over ANYTHING. Asuka realized how very much Shinji had changed. And she was beginning to think that Shinji might have changed from the boy she fell in love with. This prospect concerned her greatly…

"Yes, but DAD is slightly peeved at MOM for certain reasons, so of course he would agree with you." Asuka said, pointing out the fact that Kaji couldn't smoke cigarettes anymore.

"Well, MOM had to make sacrifices too." Shinji pointed out, reminding Asuka of Misato's 'No Alcohol clause'.

"We all do. If you are going to live through this, then you have to be careful." Asuka said, touching his hand gently. Shinji jerked back slightly.

"What do you mean, "Live through this"? Did Misa… Did Mom tell you something that she didn't tell me?" Shinji asked. Asuka dropped her gaze, as she shook her head.

"No. GRAMPA told me about it…" Asuka said, trailing off.

"About what…?" Shinji asked. Asuka leaned close to him, and whispered into his ear softly.

"SEELE wants you dead. Because you are a threat to their cause. Something about… Drac having to be the one… And he won't even try to be if you're alive…" Asuka said quietly, wrapping her arms around him for comfort. "Harper said he couldn't tell me the whole story because it was to complicated, and I wouldn't understand…"

'Greg… Why do you want me dead? What did I do? What does Drac have to do with all of this?' Shinji thought to himself, his dinner long forgotten.

***

"You've done it for his own good, Gendo." Fuuyutski said, looking off into space. Gendo shook his head, sitting in his chair awkwardly.

"Keeping my son at arms length… Making him hate me… Was it for his own good that his childhood should be Hell?" Gendo said, letting out a sigh.

"If you were to come into contact with him, then…" Fuuyutski began, but was cut off.

"I know. He isn't ready yet. Not for the truth." Gendo said sadly.

"He's not even your son, Gendo." Fuuyutski pointed out.

"I know. But it doesn't matter. He came from Yui, my wife, and… I know you can't possibly understand how I feel, Sensei." Gendo said, turning away from him.

"I understand your feelings, Gendo. Regardless of blood, he is your son." Fuuyutski said.

"It was painful… To do the things that must be done. The things that had to be done. To hear him scream that he hated me…" Gendo said, dropping his head.

"But, Sir…" Fuuyutski began, but was yet again cut off.

"When I made him attack the Eva with Touji inside, he was screaming for me to stop… But I couldn't… He would have died…" Gendo said. "I would gladly give everything for Shinji's safety, but was it worth the pain he had to endure?" Gendo said, growing silent.

"Once, when I was still a professor, one of my students lost an arm in a car accident. His girlfriend had asked me this question after the fact. 'Why must bad things happen to good people?'" Fuuyutski said.

"I responded thusly. 'It is not the fact that bad things always happen to good people, the truth is that the bad things in their life make them good people.' You see, Gendo, man experiences misfortune, and knows what it is like. This makes this person, depending on their attitude, want to make it so no one else must go through what they experienced."

"Had Shinji not experienced such bad emotions in his youth, he would not be the man he is today. Though he tends to back away from conflict, when he is needed, he is there. Shinji can be depended on. The Ends do not justify the Means, I know, but if there is no way for the Means to better to reach the Ends that benefit all, then, in that case, the Ends do justify the Means." Fuuyutski finished, and grew silent.

"The Greater Good, correct, Fuuyutski? I doubt that the ones hurt by the Means see the Ends as justified…" Gendo said, pushing his glasses up with his index finger.

***

"Are you sure that you're alright, Rei?" Drac asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just go home. I'll be okay here." Rei said, sitting on her bed.

"Are you sure? You don't need anything?" Drac asked.

"Drac, you're the one that just got out of the hospital, remember?" Rei pointed out, laying down on the bed.

"But you were…" Drac began.

"I don't care. Just go away." She said, covering her head with a pillow.

"Rei, I just…" Drac said.

"If you don't leave RIGHT NOW, I'll assume that you want to sleep in the same bed as me, nd then I will call the cops for attempted rape!" Rei screamed, pulling the blankets over her head.

"Well, if I'm already getting charged with rape…" Drac said, pulling the covers from over her head, and giving her a long kiss on the lips. Rei sighed slightly before Drac headed for the door to her room. "Good night, Rei-chan." Drac said before turning off the lights and leaving Rei alone…

***

"Yumi will be fine. YOU however, will have to stay here overnight. That head wound could get infected." Ritsuko said, wrapping a bandage around his head.

"I'll be fine. I heal fast." Allen said, backing away.

"I know very well of your recuperative abilities, Allen, and, without medical attention, you will have a permanent hole in your head." Ritsuko said, pulling his head back into her reach and finishing the bandage job. Off in the corner, Yumi sat up slowly.

"Yumi! You're alright!" Allen said, running out of Ritsuko's reach again, causing her to curse.

"Get over here!" Ritsuko said, grabbing him by the ear. Allen yelped, and Yumi giggled.

"Let me go!" Allen said, trying to swat away her arm.

"If you're going to act like a child, I'll treat you like one. Now sit down, and let me bandage your head, or I'll make ANOTHER ONE in a way not even REMOTELY as pleasant as the way you received THIS ONE!!" Ritsuko screamed. Allen meekly sat back down in the chair and let Ritsuko continue, for fear of loosing slightly more than his ear…

***

Rei turned over in her bed, trying to sleep, but found it difficult. She felt a cold feeling crawling up her spine, as though someone were breathing all long her spine…

Rei nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the phone ring. She dashed from her bedroom to the chair she had thrown her coat over, and retrieved her cell phone.

"Hello?" Rei answered.

"Who is it?" Drac asked. Rei looked to the couch, where Drac had camped out. Rei suddenly realized her state of dress, or more fittingly, undress. Rei stood wearing a pair of panties, and nothing more.

"HENTAIIIIIIII!!" Rei cried out, punching Drac in the face, knocking him to the floor and rushing to her room to put on some clothing, the phone forgotten. From her bedroom, she heard Drac answer the phone while she frantically rushed through her drawers.

'He camped out on my couch! Who the hell does he think he is!?!' Rei thought. Rei suddenly had a flashback from the time Shinji had seen her naked. She didn't scream, she didn't hit him.

She was slightly peeved that he had touched Commander Ikari's glasses that she had kept, but she wasn't upset about the fact that he saw her naked. She wasn't even upset when his hand ended up on her breast.

'So why did get so upset at Drac, the man I love? Am I changing from the way I was?' Rei thought. 'I am totally different. The only people that I ever felt any emotion towards were Shinji and his father…' 

'I'm feeling emotions… It began when I saw Drac the first time… Whenever Drac's around, I feel these emotions… And when he's gone I don't…' Rei thought. 'And when I felt him in my head for the first time, I began to have emotions even when he wasn't in the room…'

'Why does Drac do this to me? He makes my mind feel so dizzy… I feel unsteady… When Bren broke the link between me and Drac, I felt myself revert to my emotionless state again…' Rei stopped her search for clothing. 'Why? Is it because I love him that much? I don't know…'

"There's an angel attack!" Drac shouted as he burst into the room. Drac immediately froze. He noticed that Rei still had not put on clothing. He also noticed that the dresser drawer she was holding looked very heavy. "S-sorry…" Drac tried to apologize, but it was too late.

"ECCHIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" Rei screamed, sending the dresser drawer hurtling at Drac's head

End of Chapter 22

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/Knapdaddy



	23. Chapter 23

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I know people will be confused by most of this, but let me point something out for you. In this fanfic, time in Heaven moves at a different rate than on Earth. That is why there is no dates on those that take place in Heaven. Drac's past is in two parts. Part one is all new stuff, but part two is just pieces that I've already written. A recap, if you will…

Chapter 23:

Drac's Past

Part 1

"What is love, Dracorian, in your opinion?" John asked him as he was passing by. Dracoralain turned and faced him.

"Love? Sometime's I'd doubt the Almighty himself had the answer to that question if I didn't know any better." Dracorian laughed. "Love is different for everyone, I guess." He shrugged.

"Hmm… Interesting response…" John smiled. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well… Love isn't the same for everyone because it's defined differently in people's minds. Some people consider love as Lust, while others feel it in their hearts…" Dracorian tailed off.

"Yes? And how do you classify such things, if you don't mind my asking." John asked, intrigued.

"The heart and body? Is that what you refer to?" Dracorian asked, and John nodded in response. "Well, a long time ago, I realized that the human psyche as a whole is divided into five parts, only one of which actually lives after death." John began nodding half way through, a slight smile on his face.

"And what are these parts?" John asked.

"The mind, the body, the heart, the soul, and your will." Dracorian said.

"Spirit. Not will, but Spirit." John corrected.

"If you know this, why do you ask me?" Dracorian asked.

"To see what YOU know, of course. You received no instruction about this, and yet you seem to have pieced it together on your own…" John trailed off.

"Your point being?" Dracorian asked.

"The Mind represents intellect, the Heart represents emotion, the Body represents physical needs such as hunger and lust, the Spirit represents strength of will. The Soul, what we are now, represents hope and faith." John instructed. "The Soul is the only immortal piece. The Spirit fades with death, releasing its hold on the other four. All but he soul die."

"And after that, if the Soul is deemed worthy, it is sent to Heaven. If not, it is sent back to Earth to try again. So?" Dracorian finished John's lecture.

"The question I asked you is this. How does love fit into all of those?" John asked, raising an eyebrow. Dracorian shrugged.

"I honestly do not know, nor do I care. It's pointless to ponder the questions whose answers are unachievable. I lived my life as I thought He wished it, and when I died, I came here." Dracorian said. John nodded, falling deep into thought.

"We will continue this discussion later, Drac. Until then, ponder what I have told you." John said with a smirk before wandering off…

Later..

"Ikari Yui. And you are…?" Yui asked.

"Dracorian. Call me Drac." Drac said with a bow. "Welcome to Heaven, Mrs. Ikari."

"This is much different than what I pictured…" Yui said, observing the scenery.

"What did you expect?" Drac asked inquisitively.

"I don't know. More clouds…" Yui said with a shrug.

"Never assume things to be. You'll only be surprised in the end." Drac warned.

"By the way," Yui said suddenly, "I was wondering if there was any way to see what was going on at Earth. Would you happen to know of any?"

"Well, yes. It's simple, really. Concentration, along with force of will, allows you to see things." Drac said. "Usually, it's frowned upon, but you're an Angel now, so they won't mind."

"They?" Yui asked.

"The Apostles, the other Archangels, you know. Them." Drac shrugged.

"I see…" Yui said, looking away.

Later than that…

"What were you like when you were alive, Drac?" Yui asked suddenly. Drac was startled by the sudden question about his past. Drac found it an uncomfortable subject, and didn't like to talk about it, but he had been getting closer to Yui as time passed…

"I was… pretty much the same as I am now. I was a little more nervous, but that's normal…" Drac shrugged. Yui shook her head.

"I meant, what kind of life did you live? Who were you?" Yui asked. Drac frowned slightly, looking out into the distance.

"I was… I was the first man not of Adam's descent." Drac said sadly.

"How can that be? I thought that everyone descended from Adam." Yui said, astonished.

"Not true. It was true that he was the first, but Adam's line isn't the only one. How else could there have been a wife for Cain? I was never in paradise. I was born outside. For that, I feel a little bitter about those who had paradise and ruined it." Drac said. 

"I see." Yui said, looking deeply into Drac's eyes. "It must have been lonely."

"It was… but more people came. I had a wife, but she went back… I couldn't do anything about it." Drac said, caught in her eyes.

"That must have made you sad." She said, leaning closer to him.

"I cried for some time, yes…" Drac said, lost in her eyes…

Later still…

"Drac… There's something I must confess to you." Yui said, holding his hand.

"What is that, Yui?" Drac asked, letting a slight smile spread across her face.

"I'm sorry… I… Don't love you…" Yui said, looking away. This statement shocked Drac greatly. Over time, they had gotten extemely close, as to spend most of their time together, and she had even told him quite a few times that she loved him, and he had told her the same.

"I was only using you… As a replacement for Gendo, my husband… I'm sorry. I can't lie to you anymore." She said, tears in her eyes. Drac nodded his head, and smiled.

"I understand." Drac said before turning away.

"Drac?" Yui called after him. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just have to think things through." Drac said, looking at the ground.

"Are you mad at me…?" Yui asked looking away from him. "For not telling you the truth?"

"No, not mad. I.. I have to go now. John and I need to finish a talk we were having a long time back." Drac said, walking away.

And after that…

"I will do it." Drac stood tall, raising his hand. Peter was slightly startled, but continued with the meeting.

"As an Archangel, you do have the right to choose before a Guardian Angel, but are you sure this is what you wish? You will be restricted to the lower planes of existence." Peter asked.

"Yes. I am certain. I will protect Ayanami Rei." Drac said.

'Ayanami Rei. The duplicate of Yui… I've lost Yui, but now I have another chance…' Drac thought. After the meeting, John approached him.

"Are you really leaving without finishing our talk? I'm sure that you could answer now." John said.

"No, I doubt that I could answer without prejudice… I will be back. And we can finish our talk then." Drac said with a smile. John nodded, accepting that response.

"Quite. I shall see thee upon thy return." John said with a bow before leaving.

June 9, 2006

"Drac, I have to tell you something important." His mother told him. "Your Daddy will be going away. He did something bad, so he got sent away."

"What did Daddy do?" Drac said, beginning to cry.

"Don't worry about that, dear. I'll be with you, so don't cry." Drac's mother gave him a hug. "Daddy doesn't love you anymore, but I do. He left you alone, but I will always be with you. I won't ever leave you alone, Drac." 

Later that day, Drac found himself sitting on the front porch of his house, staring at his feet. His Mom had said that they couldn't afford to live in a house anymore, so they were moving to an apartment across the street.

A little girl wandered up to him and looked at him curiously. When he looked up at her, she smiled.

"Hi." She said cheerily, arms folded behind her back.

"Hi." Drac said, lacking her cheer.

"What's wrong?" She asked, tilting her head to the right slightly.

"My daddy left me and my mom, so we have to move to an apartment. And I don't get to see Daddy anymore, either." Drac said, pouting. The girl nodded.

"I don't get to see my Mom much either. I miss her, too." She said, moving closer. "I'm Yumi. What's your name?"

"I'm Drac." Drac said. "Ya wanna sit down?"

"Sure." Yumi said as she took a seat by him. "Drac is a weird name, isn't it?"

"The kids at school pick on me about it. They make fun of me and call me names." Drac said.

"I won't call you names, Drac. I think we should be friends." Yumi said with a smile.

"Okay…" Drac said, smiling.

March 4, 2007

"Drac, I'd like you to meet Bradley Thomas. He's a friend of mine." His mother said. Drac walked up to Brad and looked up at him.

"Hi." Drac said, gazing into his eyes. Bradley smiled back.

"Hello, Drac." Bradley said reservedly, as if he were thinking about something else...

July 12, 2007

"Drac, what would you say if I told you that Brad was going to be your new daddy?" His mother asked.

"Mr. Brad is scary. And he's mean to me." Drac said quietly.

"Why is he mean to you, Drac?" His mother asked.

"He takes me to his lab and does weird things to me." Drac said.

"Drac, stop making up stories!" His mother scolded him.

"I'm not, Mom!" Drac said defensively.

"Drac, you go to your room until you can tell the truth!" His mother told him, pointing to his room.

Later, Brian, Brad's brother, stopped by to talk to Drac about it.

"Don't worry, Drac. I won't let Brad do it anymore, okay? You just forget about it, okay?" Brian said. Drac liked Brian more than Brad. He was nicer, and didn't hurt him…

July 13, 2007 –Friday the 13th…

"Just lay back for a bit, Drac, and everything will be fine." Brad told him, reconnecting the electrodes to him. Drac tried not to cry.

"But I don't want the things on me anymore! They hurt me!" Drac pouted.

"This is the last time I'm going to do this, okay, Drac? So just lie back and try to be calm." Brad said, and Drac lay back obediently. Then the pain came. The pain had been increasing as of late, and now it was nigh to unbearable. Drac screamed out as he felt like his internal organs were burning from the inside…

Brian burst into the room in rage.

"Shut that thing off right now!" Brian screamed.

"Are you insane?!? We can't turn it off in mid-operation! It would kill him!" Brad yelled back.

"At least give the kid some painkillers! Do you know how painful that must be…?!" Brian continued to yell, but Drac lost track of his words as he slid out of consciousness…

June 15, 2008 

"Drac, this is your new baby brother. His name is Allen." Drac's mother said, showing the baby to him from the hospital bed. The small body squirmed slightly, making light cooing sounds. Drac smiled at his little brother, and Allen smiled back.

"Hi." Drac said, waving. Drac was happy that he had a younger brother. Now he had more family… But then Drac thought of something startling.

'Will Brad stick the electrodes into Allen, too?' He wondered, suddenly developing a frown. His mother saw this, and pointed it out.

"What's wrong, Drac? Why are you sad?" His mother asked.

"I just remembered something." Drac said. Drac had learned a long time ago that whenever he mentioned the experiments, his mother said that he was making things up, and he would get into trouble…

June 20, 2008

Drac was sitting in front of Allen's crib in a chair. He was going to guard Allen. He wouldn't LET Brad take his brother away. Even though Brad was away at a meeting with Brian, he still wanted to make sure his brother was alright.

Drac heard a window break in the living room. Then, he heard another one break in the kitchen. Drac stood up, ready to protect his brother from harm, grabbing the nearest heavy object he could find, a baseball bat, and prepared to hit whoever tried to get passed him.

The window in the room smashed as a small circular ball burst into the room. Drac looked at it, and poked at it with the bat. Suddenly, an almost transparent green gas leaked out of the ball, and into the room. Drac found it harder and harder to breathe, and finally, he lost consciousness…

When he woke up, he checked to see if his brother was still there. He was sound asleep in his bed.

He ran to tell his mother about the ball in Allen's room, and opened the door. His mother was sleeping too. When he tried to wake her up, she wouldn't. Her hands felt like ice, and she wasn't breathing. Drac had stopped breathing at that point too.

He shook his mother hard, trying to wake her up, but she just lay in her bed limply.

He ran to Allen's room, and checked the crib. He was cold, too. He ran to the phone, bawling, calling the number that Brad had given him for emergencies. When Brad answered, all Drac could do was sob incoherently.

"Mom's not moving! Allen's not moving!" He cried over and over. Brad told him that he would be there as soon as he could. When Brad arrived, and learned of the situation, he became very quiet, and entered Allen's room.

"NO! You're not gonna!" Drac screamed as Brad tried to leave with Allen's dead body. "You're not gonna stick the electrodes in him! You're not gonna hurt my little brother!" Brad took the bat from Drac and hit him upside the head with it.

"You are worthless. You should have protected them." Brad accused. "I made you strong. I made it so that you could protect. And you fail the first chance you have. Pathetic. It's your fault they're dead, Drac."

"No! It's your fault! You left us alone!" Drac screamed, ignoring the pain as blood trickled down his scalp.

"You could have protected them with your power, the power that I gave you, but you failed." Brad said. "You are worthless. I can't even stand the sight of you." Brad said, leaving.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH MY BROTHER!!!" Drac said as a dark glow emanated from his body. Brad, fear spreading across his face, drew a gun, and shot Drac in the shoulder, knocking him down again.

Drac could do nothing as Brad took his brother from him. He sat there and watched as Allen was taken away. Drac felt dizzy, and found it hard to concentrate.

"You couldn't even stop ME, Drac. You are weak. Weak and worthless." Brad said before Drac fell unconscious.

June 23, 2008

Drac couldn't remember what had happened. When he tried, his head began to hurt. His mother had disappeared, and so had Allen and Brad. Yumi came by a day ago to play, but felt ill after a while, so she went home.

Drac felt tired and queasy also, and had been laying down in his bed for most of the day. At night, Drac was really hungry, so he decided to try and make some food for himself. After an unsuccessful attempt, he grabbed a cereal box off the top of the fridge by climbing up on a chair.

He was steadily munching away when Brian entered the house. 

"Drac?" He called out. Drac ran to the front door and hugged Brian.

"Everyone's gone! Where did they go?" Drac asked, in tears. Brian sighed heavily, and told him.

"They're dead, Drac. Brad left you here alone." Brian said.

"No! Mom said that she would NEVER leave me alone! She told me when Dad left!" Drac cried.

"Your father is dead too, Drac." Brian said.

"WHY!?" Drac screamed, backing away from Brian and clutching his head. "WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO ME?! I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!! Why…?"

"Drac.." Brian whispered, not one who is good with emotions.

"Why did he have to do this?" Drac asked. Brad had done it. Drac was sure of it…

"Do you want to get back at him, Drac?" Brian asked.

'What? How? What can I do?" Drac asked.

"You can make him pay for what he's done to you, and to your family." Brian said. Drac stopped his crying.

'Crying does no good when there's no one to hear.' Drac thought. 'And Uncle Brian is trying to help me…'

"How?" Drac asked firmly.

"Drac, let's make one thing clear. I will use you, but only of your free will. I won't do what Brad did to you." Brian said seriously. Drac nodded.

"I understand." Drac said with finality, as he signed his life away to revenge. 

July 4, 2008

"Where are you, Drac?" Yumi called out in his house. "Are you there?"

After searching the house, she found nothing. Even his toys were gone…

Yumi went outside to stand by the tree that they usually sat under…

"He moved away. Without saying goodbye…" Yumi said, beginning to cry, and kicked the tree hard. A small envelope fell from the tree, and landed on her head. It had her name on it, so she opened it.

Yumi, I have to go away for a long time. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you in person, but I couldn't. Don't worry. I'll be back, and I'll make it up to you, so don't cry.

~Drac

"Drac…" Yumi said, folding the letter up, and replacing it in the envelope.

End of Chapter 23


	24. Chapter 24

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

The second half of Drac's past. Enjoy. And After this, Allen's past.

Chapter 24:

Drac's Past

Part 2

February 28, 2011

"Who's there…?" Came a voice from a room with the door partially open. Rei was about to pass by the room without saying anything, but a feeling of curiosity passed over her. This was a feeling that she had never felt before, and therefore failed to prevail against it.

"My name is Ayanami Rei." She said entering the dark room. It was a padded room with nothing in it but a security camera, a light socket, which was now off, and a small, terrified boy in the center. He looked at Rei with a half frightened, half curious gaze, not taking his eyes off her.

"I'm, I'm Drac…" He said with a stutter. It was obvious that he had been crying, for his face was wet with tears.

"Why were you crying?" Rei asked.

"The… The monster… Wants to eat me…" He said, holding back tears. Rei came closer and knelt down by him.

"What monster?" Rei asked, slight curiosity appearing in her voice. With that, the boy threw his arms around Rei's waist and began to cry into her chest. This startled Rei, and her first response would have been to jump back, but for some reason she didn't.

The boy began to spurt out gibberish and incoherent nonsense. Rei's second response, though she had never done it before, was to try to console him in some way. Rei had no idea how. Suddenly, Rei remembered how, but she had never had anything to remember. It was as though it was from another life…

Rei wrapped her arms around the boy and clasped his head to her breast, whispering reassurances in a quiet voice. That's when she felt it. The feeling of being similar to him, but not quite. She didn't know what it meant, but she felt a bond between them somehow…

March 1, 2011

Sanity is only determined by point of view…

"It appears that his mental condition has improved, but that isn't saying much, Commander. He continues to laugh hysterically and attack the walls." Dr. Akagi reported calmly.

"When will Dracan be well enough to pilot?" Ikari asked.

"It's not that easy. He is, for lack of a better explanation, totally insane. It could, and probably will, be years before he is well enough. We run the risk of him flipping out and start blasting everything in sight." Dr. Akagi continued. "The First Child will be ready to pilot before he is. I give him five years, minimum."

"We must speed up the process. Dracan must be ready by the time Rei is capable of piloting." Gendo said.

"I will do what I can. Maybe if he were to talk to someone more his own age?" Ritsuko said before starting to leave.

"Doctor." Ritsuko stopped and turned around. "Rei has a calming effect on some people. Maybe you should have her talk to him." Gendo said, a smirk forming behind his hands.

"I don't think that's wise. A few minutes ago, he was screaming about the walls trying to eat him again. I guess I can give it a try…" Ritsuko walked in the direction of the room where they kept Dracan. She called Rei on her Cellphone and asked Rei to meet her there.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Rei asked as Ritsuko approached. Ritsuko had not expected Rei to get there so quickly. She expected that Rei would have to find the place first.

"I would like you to talk to the boy in the room here." Ritsuko ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Rei said as she opened the door to the dark room and entered. Ritsuko watched the exchange of words via the security camera.

"Hello, Dracan." Rei said. Ritsuko found it odd that Rei knew his name when she had not told her.

"Hello, Rei." Drac said quietly, gazing at the security camera in the corner with contempt.

"Why are you staring at the security camera?" Rei asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it Rei? It watches me like a hawk! I move one way…" Drac slid to the left. "The thing follows me. If I move the other way…" Drac slid to the right. "It still follows me! Upon heavy analysis, I've concluded thusly. That is the eye." Drac said, pointing to the camera.

"The eye of what?" Rei asked.

"The evil monster, of course! That over there…" Drac pointed to the door. "That is the mouth. Dr. Akagi is some extension of the monster, trying to lure me into its mouth. There is, however, one factor not calculated yet." Drac said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What is that, Drac?" Rei said, slightly smiling.

"You." Drac said, pointing at her. "I can't make heads or tails of you. Are you another fiend like Dr. Akagi, or something else? Maybe you are one who suffers through being digested by the monster. Who escapes on occasion. None of it fits. So my question to you, Miss Rei, is this. What are you in relation to me?" He asked the question as though it was the most important thing in the world. Rei looked baffled.

'This boy triggers emotion into Rei… I'll have to consult Commander Ikari about this…' Ritsuko thought.

"Me?" Rei said, suddenly developing a warm smile. Her voice held emotion. She was amused by the question that she had been asked. She walked up to him and took his hand. "I'm your friend, Drac." This caused Drac to smile. Drac's face suddenly became troubled. Ritsuko knew what it was. 

Another one of his theories was smashed like glass. Now she knew who had been doing the hard parts…

Many times Ritsuko would come to see Drac and find that a theory of how everything went was gone and he had to formulate new ones. That was the only time she had ever made progress. His theories had been getting less strange as of late, due to the hard work she had been putting in while he had no hypothesis.

Ritsuko realized that she might make the deadline if she could recruit Rei's help on the matter. She vaguely recognized that Rei and Drac were talking about something else, so she shifted her attention back to the screen.

"What's it like in there?" Drac asked, pointing towards the door.

"In where? You mean OUT there, don't you?" Rei giggled. Ritsuko sat there gaping. "This is just a room, Drac. They put you in here because you went insane. Because you have theories saying that the outside world is trying to eat you! Out there is NERV Headquarters. Outside of NERV is the Geofront. Outside of that is Japan. Outside of that, there is the whole world." Rei said grandiosely. Drac slowly tilted his head downwards, deep in thought.

"World. Being a word generally meaning the planet that 'sane' people know as Earth, but that is not the exact definition of the word. The true definition of the 'world' is all that is known by the person referring to the word. To a learned man, the world consists of all known Outer Space. To a sheltered child, the world would be his house, and maybe his school.

"If the world is out there, Rei, tell me. What do you consider as the world? Were you referring to the planet, as the standard use of the word, or something greater?" Drac asked philosophically. Rei smiled, a slight gleam of mischief gleamed in her eye.

"Well, Drac there is the planet out there, as I was referring to, but there is something greater out there than the large ball of dirt we call Earth. There are forests brimming with life. There are the roaring seas, filled with marine life. Even the deserts have the wonders of life spawning in them. Above all are Human kind, and its achievements. Art, Technology, Literature, and much more exist out there. Children play happily on a warm summer's day. Lovers exchange kisses over their passion for each other. However, you cannot look at the good without looking at the bad.

"War, Death, Famine, Pestilence, they all reign over many in the world, as well as Hate jealousy, anger, sadness and depression. Being trapped in here and experiencing nothing is far worse than experiencing both the good and the bad of the outside world." Rei said, trying to outthink him with even more reflective words.

"Having no emotion is far worse than experiencing both the good and the bad of yourself." Drac countered, knowing that he had defeated his friend. Rei pouted, and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, so you won. Again. Can't you just, for once, let me win a debate?" Rei asked, pleadingly.

"Ah, but then you wouldn't really be winning, would you? You end up shattering my theories plenty of times. Isn't that winning, Rei?" Drac pointed out.

"No, because that's crazy talk. I want to beat you at something when you aren't talking about walls eating you, or the world being a giant hovercraft, and that we are all eels. It's easy to win when someone is so blatantly wrong that anyone could point out the flaws." Rei said beginning to shift back to her monotone voice.

"Yes, well, Rei, do you think that you could talk Dr. Akagi into getting me a bed? I know the room is padded, but I want to sleep in a bed again." Drac said calmly. "That way the mice will have friends."

"What mice?" Rei asked.

"The ones that live in the ceiling, of course. They keep on telling me that they are lonely, and if Dr. Akagi brought a bed in, the mice could move in under there and have friends." Drac said in a distant voice. He chuckled as if he said something funny. This brought on a laugh, which then developed into a sinister cackle that echoed in the room. Rei pushed herself away from the wall on which she had been leaning, and left the room quietly. Ritsuko stood up to meet her and ask her questions. 

"Why did you leave, Rei?" Ritsuko asked.

"I cannot talk to him when he is like that. When I do, I get no response." Rei stated.

"When did you meet Dracan before this, Rei?" Ritsuko asked, tilting her head slightly, placing the pencil in her hand upon her lips.

"We have talked many times." Rei said.

"When was the first, and what happened?" Ritsuko asked, taking out her notebook and poised her pencil over the paper.

"Two years ago. He was crying, and you had left the door open. He said something about mouths and walls, then he wrapped his arms around me and cried some more. This is the most responsive I have ever seen him, Dr. Akagi." Rei said.

"Hmm… Does Commander Ikari know about this?"

"He said that I could talk to him if I didn't interfere with your work."

"I see. Thank you, Rei. You may go."

"Yes, Ma'am."

April 1, 2015

Mother… Father…

"What happened to your parents, Drac? Just answer the question! It's not that difficult of one!" Ritsuko yelled at him in a loud voice. Drac had been slowly backing away at her response to the fact that he would really not prefer to talk about his parents. He didn't even realize that he was doing it until his back hit the wall.

"It is for me…." Drac said sadly. "I just want to forget, alright?" He said firmly.

"Fine! You can stay in here for the rest of your life! Honestly, I can't deal with you anymore!" Ritsuko burst out of the room with a rage. Drac heard her having a conversation, loudly, with a male voice. The voice was calm and comforting, yet firm at this point. Suddenly, Ritsuko shouted, "No, you may NOT talk to the boy! He's a pest!"

Drac heard another voice join in on the conversation, Rei. Her calm, quiet voice spoke, and he heard Ritsuko's voice change from anger to depression. Rei entered the room, along with a tall, middle aged man. He sat on the floor in front of Drac, smiling slightly.

"Hello, Drac. My name's Brian. How are you today?" He asked in a friendly voice, though not very fluent Japanese.

"I'm well, thank you." Drac said looking at the ceiling. Once he had thought that talking mice lived above him, for some reason. Well, he had gotten his bed, along with a chair, though he usually sat on the ground or on the bed. Rei walked over from where she was standing, and sat next to Drac on the floor.

He felt a growing urge to reach over and take her hand, but he fought it and faced the man known as Brian. "Is there something you want, sir?" Drac asked politely.

"No, I'm just here to talk… I hear that Ritsuko has quite a temper when dealing with you, for some reason. What do you say to her to get her so riled up, anyway?" Brian asked, tipping his glasses slightly.

"It told her that I didn't want to talk about my parents to her." Drac responded.

"Hmm… Sensitive subject? I understand. My parents died when I was young, too. My older brother, Brad, had to raise me until I was old enough to live on my own… Anyway, is there any particular reason you won't tell her, or is it that you don't want to talk about it in general?" Brian asked.

"Actually, I just plain don't like the woman." Drac said plainly. This upset Rei.

"You promised me that you would cooperate with her, Drac." Rei said in a slightly irritated tone, hardly branching from her normal voice.

"Well, I'm sorry, Rei, but there is something about her that I don't trust. I can't pour out all my closest kept secrets to someone that I can't trust." Drac said calmly, imitating Rei's voice.

"Do you trust me?" Rei asked.

"More than anyone else I know." Drac said.

"Answer the question, Drac." Rei said firmly

"I did." Drac said defensively.

"No, you didn't. You don't trust anyone else you know. Saying that you trust me more than anyone else you know isn't saying much. I ask again. Do you trust me?" Rei finished and waited for an answer. Drac hesitated a few seconds before responding.

"Yes. I trust you with my life, Rei." Drac said, barely a whisper. 

'My life, and my heart.' He said to himself. Rei smiled slightly, and took his hand.

"Why don't you tell me, then? It would calm down Dr. Akagi quite a bit." Rei said, in a comfortable voice.

"A: There is a stranger sitting here with a pad of paper and a pencil. B: The Security Camera is watching our every move." Drac gestured at the objects in question.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Pardon me! I'll just leave now!" The man said, obviously offended. Brian quietly left the room and closed the door.

"Well?" Rei asked.

"B." Drac said.

"What?" Rei asked, tensing.

"The camera." Drac said.

"Oh…" Rei said relieved* for some reason. "Security cameras can't hear, you know. They're just visual." Rei said nervously**. Drac wondered why she was nervous, but he ignored it.

{*Relieved because she thought he was going mad again, **Nervous because she's lying.}

"Well… Okay." Drac said reluctantly. Rei smiled, slid closer, and listened to every word said.

"Well, my father was a Police Officer from America, and my mother was a nurse from Japan. They got married and lived in Tokyo. When I was 6 years old, they split up. I ended up living with my mother, who a year later got married to a Scientist, which I forget his name. They had a young child together. I also forget his name. This was a long time ago, and my memories are hazy…

"When I was 8 years old, my mother died when she took a sickness from the hospital she worked at. My Father, who had since moved back to America, wrote to me telling me that he would come to see me. He never arrived. The day before his scheduled vacation, a serial killer killed him in a shoot out. To make things even worse at the time, my stepbrother died from the same sickness that mother did....

"When my stepbrother died, My stepfather lost it completely, for he had been teetering on the edge when my mother had died. He left the country, leaving me behind. I had no one left. I had been sitting in the house for three days, alone, when I realized that something had gone wrong, I don't know what happened after that, but I ended up in this room. Was here for Two months before I met you…" Drac went silent. Rei had started to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Drac…! I didn't know it was so bad for you…! I shouldn't have asked!" Rei said, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Don't worry about it… You can ask me anything, Rei…." Drac said warmly. Rei smiled sadly.

"Oh, Drac." She wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, and he gratefully returned. it. What really surprised Drac now was the fact that he had begun to cry, as well. Suddenly, all of the theories he had been concocting, all the meanings of existence he had contemplated, they all left his mind.

Rei now demanded all of his senses. The smell of her shampoo drifted to from her with delightful fragrance. Her hair felt smooth as silk. Her face was a thing of beauty that the greatest artist in the world could not have created.

Drac wanted to hold her close forever. Drac felt something begin to pull at his mind. He had no idea what it was, but it seemed eerily familiar. The Theories were trying to force their way back in… Drac felt the feeling tug at him so hard that he couldn't prevent it. It hurt his mind so much…

He found himself laughing maniacally at nothing in particular. He saw Rei begin to cry hysterically, and then she shouted at him. "Stop it! Stop laughing, Baka!"

Drac tried his hardest to stop laughing, but to no avail. Rei screamed, reared back and slapped him full in the face. Drac fell backwards onto his back, the fresh palm print still burning on his cheek. He was no longer laughing. Rei rushed to his side.

"I'm sorry, Drac! I'm so sorry! I just lost it… I shouldn't have hit you…" Rei was interrupted.

"Yes, you should have, Rei. And thank you for that… It's gone now…" Drac said nervously.

Drac smiled.

Rei smiled.

Drac lost track of the time, holding her hand and staring into her eyes…

Rei…

It pains her to see you do as such.

Who are you? What do you want?

Consider me as the white mouse in the ceiling.

What do you want? Why are you in my head?

I don't know why you hear things… Maybe you are insane.

I am the sanest person on the planet.

Yes, but the regular populous doesn't know that. You don't have to really be like them to be aloud in their world. You just have to pretend to be.

What's so important out there that I don't have in here?

You have always loved nature, Drac. You could sit under a tree… With Rei…

…

Just pretend to be like them, Drac. That is all that is necessary.

What must I do?

Listen carefully…

April 29, 2015

A picture of mental health!

"I don't get it!" Ritsuko complained. "He was insane one minute, and now, he passes every test that I give him! How is that possible?" Brian smiled slightly.

"Love can do miracles, Ritsuko. Maybe Drac has realized that Rei doesn't like it when he flips out, so he repaired his mind on his own. You never know." Brian said.

"I know, it's just weird… We gave him almost a month and he still hasn't had any more of his laugh attacks… I guess that I can report to Commander Ikari that we now have our Sixth Child…" Ritsuko said. "I take it that there's no chance that you'll be staying to help me with the report?" Brian shook his head.

"I have to head back home quickly. Brad tells me that there's trouble there." Brian said sadly. "I should go say goodbye to the kids now. Can't leave without saying goodbye. Is Rei around?"

"She went in to see Drac awhile ago. She hasn't come out yet." Ritsuko pointed to the monitor absently with a pencil. Rei sat on the bed with Drac, her head on his shoulder. Brian smiled and entered the room.

"Hey, kids! What's up?" Brian asked.

"Hello, Mr. Brian." They both said in unison. Brian laughed.

"How many times have I told you? Call me Brian and forget the Mister! Makes me feel old." Brian shuddered.

"Well, you ARE 39 years old. That's almost over the hill." Drac said jokingly. Rei very lightly smacked him on the back of the head.

"I guess that it's true… Damn, it's depressing, though!" Brian said jokingly.

"Brian, stop teaching the kids bad language!" Ritsuko's voice came over the intercom.

"Oh, shut you asshole, you dumb bitch!" Drac shouted at Ritsuko. Rei's next smack on the back of Drac's head wasn't as light. "OW!" Drac cried as he was sent, face first to the floor. Rei looked up at the security camera and smiled broadly. Brian heard a distant laughing.

"Anyway, kids, I'm afraid I have some good news, some bad news, and a choice for Drac. Which do you want to here first?" Brian asked.

"Good news, of course!" Rei said.

"Well, the good news is that Dr. Akagi finally declared that Drac is sane."

"Here that Drac? You're sane! Dr. Akagi said so!" Rei said cheerily.

"Great a nut says I'm sane…" Drac whispered to Brian.

"What was that?" Rei asked viciously.

"Nothing, Nothing. I was talking about Cashews…" Drac said. "Anyway, The bad news, if you please?"

"The bad news is that I have to go back to America for awhile. I'll be back in a few months, though. I got a job working under Dr. Akagi. She and my brother, Brad, we're going to be her Executive Assistants, or something like that."

"Come back soon. Keep in touch. See ya around. That sort of stuff." Drac said, sitting down. Rei got upset.

"Drac!" Rei put her hands on her hips.

"What? It's not like we're saying goodbye or anything. Just see you later. Right Brian?"

Brian laughed, saying, "Too true, Drac. Too True. Anyway, now we move on to the choice. But first, a quiz. Drac, why do you think NERV has you down here instead of in a normal institution?"

"My stepfather had connections?" Drac said, not knowing the answer.

"No. Though I am severely peeved at the man for not looking out for you. He's a college of mine, you see. I'll have a talk with him, Drac. Don't worry." Brian said. Drac immediately grew cold and angry.

"I say don't bother. The bastard left me here all alone, so I don't need him. I don't need anyone. No one except…" Drac trailed off, looking at the floor. Brian quickly changed the subject.

"The reason that NERV has you down here is this. You are capable of piloting an Eva." Rei gasped, and Drac just stared, startled. "You'd be the Sixth Child, Drac. What do you say? Do you want to be an Eva pilot like Rei?" Brian hated to use the 'Rei Card', but it was the only way to assure that he would be a pilot. 'Damn me to Hell for this…'

"Alright. I'll do it. If Rei can do it, so can I." Drac said determined.

'Poor kid… Doesn't know what he's getting himself into. And I'm not being of any help. May god protect him…'

End of Chapter 24


	25. Chapter 25

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This is a recap chapter, with a few new pieces added in. Not as many as were in Drac's Chapter, but… Eh, what're ya gonna do?

Chapter 25:

Allen's Past

February 21, 1831.

Samuel Morse gives the first public demonstration of his telegraph.

One minute/ 2011

"It's awake." The creature heard a voice. The creature had no idea what it was doing in existence, nor what hearing was. It just knew. He saw a light emanate from a short distance away, in the shape of a long sliver.

"Close the door. Too much stimulus for it at one time can be harmful at first." The same voice called to the second presence in the room. The creature could feel itself adjusting to the darkness. Objects could be made out through the dense blanket of night that held it warmly. The presence he had felt before solidified into a being, a bipedial creature with two arms. It was symmetric in its body features along its spine.

"Don't you think it's getting a bit big for its tube, Brad?" The second being asked the first. These two beings were similar in design.

"Yes, I believe we will have to take it out soon." The first being traveled a short distance towards a smaller machine, which was making noise and feeding out something thin.

"Brad, look! Its eyes are open! Hi there, little fella!" The second figure put a finger against the glass. The creature felt the warmth of the being's finger spread across the liquid that it was in. It was a pleasant feeling to have the heat to its body. It reached out to the heat source hoping for more. "Hey Brad! Look! It's touching my finger through the glass!" the second being said to the first excitedly.

"Please don't touch the glass, Brian. It's a very sensitive organism. It's not ready for high stimulation yet. That's why we can only use black light in this room." The first being addressed the second.

"Alright, alright." The second being removed its finger, making the creature feel cold again. The cold made the creature feel empty. It scraped against the glass gently, in hopes of making the warmth return.

"Amazing. It already has a heat preference. Things are ahead of schedule. It can see us as well! And hear! It can't taste or smell yet, due to the lack of a mouth or nose. That will be developing shortly…" The first figure said, ecstatic. The second figure smiled broadly.

"Three minutes of consciousness, and it already has three of the five senses. That's record time, I should think. I wouldn't be surprised if it had learned English already!" The second figure laughed.

"Oh, it does. Its cerebrum was implanted with a memory chip that is accessible to its mind. It understands Latin, Greek, German, English, Chinese, Japanese, and French. I believe that was all of them, but I'm not sure. I'll have to look on Commander Ikari's report." The first figure reached for a piece of parchment a short distance away from him. "It also understands Slavic and Morse Code, for reasons beyond me. The memory chip not only allows it to understand these languages, but also read and write them. Once it develops hands, that is."

"So, when will we be able to stop calling it "it"?" the second figure asked. The first figure thought about this slightly.

"MAGI said it had a 53% chance of being male, but I would like to wait until it is at least 80%. The creature would probably be upset if it ended up as a girl and we referred to it as a boy… I'd give it, at the rate it's growing, 5 more days. That ought to be a sufficient time to ask MAGI again. We will have to move it to a bigger tube. It hasn't developed a self-sustaining digestive system as of yet, so we can't remove it just yet. The next tube it is it will have to be heated, as well…" The first being left the room deep in thought. Seeing the first being leave, the remaining being put its finger against the glass.

"My name is Brian. What's yours, little guy?" The being asked tenderly. The creature decided that it liked the Being Brian better than the other being. The being Brian had been calling the first being Brad, so the creature thought that the first being's name must have been that.

"Gro…" the creature said. The creature felt its throat vibrate as liquid rushed through it. 'So that is how the Beings "Talk".' The creature thought. The creature was surprised by this thought greatly. These were the first thoughts in any language that it had. It was Japanese that had entered its mind first. The creature was pleased and delighted by this new discovery.

"Brad! It just cried out!" the Being Brian cried out with joy out the open door. The Being Brad immediately rushed into the room, and approached the tube. He tapped up against the glass lightly in a slight pattern. The creature developed a warm feeling in its head as its mind analyzed the data that it was receiving. "You may communicate to us like this." The finger said. The tapping against the glass was Morse Code. The creature felt a rush of joy as it tapped out its own message.

"Hello." The creature replied. The Being Brad smiled slightly, placing his hand on the glass lightly, providing a great source of heat. The Being Brian appeared confused. The creature looked at the Being Brian, causing The Being Brad to look at him as well.

"What's wrong, Brian?" The Being Brad asked. The Being Brian shook his head.

"Why are you tapping on the glass like that? You just told me not to." The Being Brian questioned his counterpart.

"It can understand Morse Code, idiot! It can already communicate with us! We are WEEKS ahead of schedule! Of course, now, we can't leave him alone… He'll get lonely… Wait. Brian, you don't understand Morse Code, do you?" The Being Brad asked accusingly.

"Well… Um… No, not really…" The Being Brian responded ashamed. The Being Brad nodded.

"Neither do many of the lab assistants. Well, let's see if our friend over seas was prepared for this." The Being Brad left the room a second time, leaving him alone with the Being Brian. The creature suddenly felt an urge to close its eyes. It had been thinking to hard, and now it was tired. It slowly closed it's eyes and curled up into a ball.

'Sleep…' the creature thought as it drifted off into dreamland.

Thirty minutes/ 2011

"Well, Dr. Akagi it appears that you have underestimated the creature's growth. In five minutes of consciousness, we had it talking to us in Morse Code. What say you now, my dear friend?" Brad said proudly. Ritsuko, as usual when Brad had outdone himself, rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yes, yes. You are a great scientist. Moving on. Obviously you need something. You wouldn't be calling me long distance to gloat, would you?" Ritsuko smirked.

"I would never do anything of the sort, Dr. Akagi! Actually, I was wondering if you had planned ahead, as you always do, my dear friend!" Brad laughed.

"Let me guess. Your brother doesn't KNOW Morse Code." Ritsuko chuckled, and Brad nodded sheepishly. "The creature should be asleep for a minimum of six days. It should be sufficiently exhausted from its first consciousness. By then you should be able to let it out of the tube, therefore eliminating the need for a translating device. But, you know, It doesn't have a Mother. We don't want it to have any psychological trauma by being different from the other Children." Ritsuko commented.

"By the time that's a factor, it will look like a normal 10-year old child. There was a reason that I insisted Brian to be on the project, you know, Rit-chan. He ought to be able to convince Carie to adopt a child. He's already gotten quite an attachment to our little creature, and we all know that Carie can't bare her own children…" Brad's smile broadened. Ritsuko laughed.

"You're almost as good as I am, Brad! So not only is everything ahead of schedule, but all the unknown variables have been solved in one fell swoop. Very well done, Brad. But then again, I expected as much from you…" Ritsuko winked. "I'll check the creature's sex again with MAGI and Email you the results. Enjoy your baby-sitting, Brad." And with that, the vid-link blinked out and went dead. Brad sighed and went back to analyzing the creature. 

February 28

Seven days, Twelve Hours, Thirty-five minutes/ 2011

The creature opened its eyes, slowly awakening from its long slumber. Its eyes had to get used to the unusual brightness that it saw. It had never seen a light so bright. It brought a hand up to cover its eyes, and was surprised by what it saw. On his appendage, which used to be a small stub, were four digit, and an opposable fifth. He had a hand like Brian's and Brad's. He looked down to observe more. He also had two legs. Truly, his body had taken on the shape of their bodies.

This caused him to smile. He then noticed that he was doing something odd. He wasn't breathing in and out the liquid anymore. He was a much lighter substance that he could hardly feel at all. He guessed that what he was breathing in now must be air. Then, another thought struck his mind.

He had been referring to himself as male. Mostly due to the fact that the equipment was there, his mind had just started to call himself as such, even though there was no conformation from Brian or Brad. He would have to ask one of them about it.

By this time, his eyes had adjusted to the bright light, and he began to examine the area. It was a large room and a few people were scurrying around busily. One in particular he noticed was Brian, at a large computer terminal, drinking a dark brown substance. Upon noticing the creature's awakening, he waved slightly, with a smile. The creature somehow felt reassured, and smiled back.

He noticed Brad move close to his tube, where he was busy playing with a few buttons and switches. The creature noticed the liquid in the tube slowly draining, and he found himself panicking slightly. He looked to Brad who was busy with his job, completely ignoring him. Brian, who had noticed the creature's discomfort, had walked to the side of the tube, and placed his hand on it.

The creature placed his hand upon Brian's, causing them both to smile. When the liquid completely disappeared, the creature found himself unable to stand, so he fell backwards, landing rather hard on his butt. The creature smiled stupidly. Brian laughed, and went about unsealing the tube. The procedure was rather simple, so they took the creature out of the tube and gave him a chair to sit in.

"He-Hello." The creature said weakly. Having only ever used his vocal cords once before, his speech was a little shaky.

"Hello. How are you feeling?" Brian asked in a curious tone.

"I feel a little weird… And my whole body feels heavy…" The creature said quietly. Brad had finished with his work, so he came and sat by Brian and himself.

"That's only normal. You have never been in an environment that wasn't liquid, and liquid tends to give buoyancy to the body, making it feel lighter. You'll get used to the extra weight." Brad said reassuringly. A thought had struck the creature as odd. 

Brian's name was Brian.

Brad's name was Brad.

He didn't have a name.

"Do I have a name?" the creature asked suddenly. The creature really never thought far enough as to what was going on in his life. When you've only been conscious twice in your entire life, you really don't have much philosophical thought. He was now thinking about how things were happening and why he had been born in a tube. The chip that he had been supplied with for language had told him what necessary things he needed to know to live, as well as language.

This chip told him that children weren't usually born in tubes.

"Of course you have a name, doesn't he, Brad?" Brian said quickly. Obviously, neither had put much thought into it, and Brian had quickly put Brad on the spot to save himself.

"Er… Ah…" Brad said, caught off-guard. The creature smiled.

"Does this mean I get to pick my own name?" He said, trying to remove the guilt from his elders.

"Er… Um… Sure! Yeah, we had a name all picked out for you, but if you want, you know, you can go ahead and pick your own name!" Brad said quickly, sighing at the end. The creature then decided that he wanted to have a little fun with Brad.

"What was it? Maybe I'd like it better than the name I thought up!" He smiled innocently. He could almost hear the mental curses that were being shouted by Brad.

"Well, uh… Actually… Allen! Yeah! Ow!" Brian lightly stepped on Brad's foot, but said nothing. This act he found rather peculiar. However, he was too busy to analyze why Brian had stepped on Brad's foot, for he was rolling the name around in several different languages all in his head.

'Allen. A-le-n. Allen. Al-len. Hmm…' The creature thought. The creature liked this name.

"Allen it is! I like it!" Allen said with energy. Brad smiled with triumph over his brother, to which Brian just fell silent. The creature… Allen… wondered why Brian was upset, but he also remained silent. Allen's thought's were full of questions that he really didn't want to answer at the moment.

'My name is Allen,' He thought as Brad lead him into a room to do a test.

Seven days, Fifteen Hours, Twenty-Five Minutes/ 2011

"Let me get this strait. You want Carie and I to…" Brian stopped, looking at the child sleeping soundly on a mat in a sound proof room. He smiled slightly.

"Yes. It would help Allen along. You know the sort of questions he's been asking. 'Do I have a mother and father?' and, 'If I don't have a mother, does that mean that I'm a Freak?'. If you and Carie were to adopt him, there would be no such problems. He would have a mother and father."

"I don't think Carie would be too keen on raising one of our lab experiments. And she'd be pretty surprised to find a 12-year old sitting in her 10-year olds' bed, if you know what I mean." Brian said sadly.

"I have a story all written out for your wife. It even covers something if the child were to inadvertently say that he was born in a test tube. The growth factor would not be a problem. He stopped his rapid growth as soon as we removed him from the LCL. Don't worry, brother. I've taken care of everything. Besides, I can tell that you've grown attached to him…" Brad trailed off.

"What I find odd is that you named him after your departed son…" Brian began, but Brad yelled back.

"Shut up, Brian! You don't know anything! When he and Tasha died…" The man held back his tears by biting his lip.

"I'm sorry Brad. Sensitive subject. I shouldn't have said anything… I'll see what I can do about Carie, O.K.?" Brian took the proffered papers and headed to his car. Brian didn't see the slight smile appear on Brad's face.

March 1

Eight Days, Five Hours, Twenty Minutes/ 2011

"It's not the fact that you did it, Brian, it's the fact that you didn't consult me first!" Carie screamed at her spouse.

"Listen, Carie, he's all alone! He doesn't have anybody! He's such a good kid, too!" Brian said convincingly. Carie let out a long sigh and calmed down.

"What's his name?" She asked calmly.

"Tashiama Allen. His mother was an assistant at the lab. We found her body in an alley beside him, and he was greatly injured. We fixed him up at the lab, but we couldn't make him remember anything about his past. He had a nasty head wound, you see. He has this weird idea that he was born in the lab. But he's a good kid, Carie! Just meet him once! You'll love him instantly!" Brian pleaded.

"Alright, Brian. Alright. I'll meet him. I'm not promising anything, though. If I don't like the kid, you'll just have to find another place for him!" she said indignantly. Brian smiled.

"Thanks, Carie." He said, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

Eight Days, Sixteen Hours, Five minutes/ 2011

Allen awoke to see some people shuffling around outside. He looked to see Brian and Brad talking to a woman with smiles on their faces. Brad noticed that Allen was awake, and excused himself from the conversation, and entered the soundproof room.

"I see that you're awake again. How are you feeling?" Brad asked curiously.

"I'm fine… Um… Mr. Brad? Who's that?" Allen asked politely while pointing at the woman that was talking to Brian. Brad smiled.

"That is Brian's wife, Carie. She may be your new mother. You see, Brian's been thinking about adopting you…" Brad said slowly. Allen could hardly hold back his jump for joy. 'If I had a mother and Father, that would mean that I'd be normal!' He thought. "Come on. I'll take you to meet her." Brad motioned him out the door.

However, for some reason, Allen felt uneasy. 'What if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't want to be my mother? Gotta think fast! I have to be cute! I have to be pathetic! She'll like me then! But what do I say? I can't think of anything! Oh, no! What do I…" His thoughts went silent as he found himself standing in front of her. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hello, Allen." She said to him comfortingly. Allen suddenly got very nervous.

"Hi…" Allen said shyly. No words came to his head that he could say to her. Nothing came to him as a way to convince her to be his mother. So he just went right out and asked her.

"Are you my Mom?" He asked quietly. He could almost FEEL her heart melt at the question.

"Yeah. I'm your Mom." She said warmly. Allen smiled broadly and wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug. She returned the hug with great force. Allen had a mom and dad now. He was a normal kid now.

April 29

Five minutes prior/ 2015

"It worries me, Brian! Who will be next? It could be Greg, or Brian… Or you…" Carie spoke to her husband fearfully. "They are killing off all your lab assistants! Whoever they are, they don't like what you are doing there! Is it important enough to lose this many lives? Maybe if you stop the project…"

"We can't stop the project, Carie. I can't tell you why, but we just can't." Brian said sadly. He looked up and noticed that Allen had come out of his room. "Allen, what are you doing up? It's past 3." Brian asked him firmly.

"I'm sorry, Dad… I heard you and Mom yelling… Dad… Are you going to die…?" Allen asked with tears in his eyes. If someone killed his father, he didn't know what he would do.

"No, No, Allen! Don't worry about it!" He wrapped Allen in an embrace. "Nothing's going to…" The phone rang. Brian picked it up. His eyes grew wide with horror. He hung up the Phone quickly.

"Allen, go to bed. Now." Brian said firmly. Allen went to his room and closed the door. He could still hear them talking.

"Gregory Charles is in the hospital with repeated gunshot wounds to the chest. He isn't expected to survive the night." Brian said, calmly.

"Brian… What now?" Carie asked.

"I'm going to talk to Brad about that. He's coming over now." Brian said. Allen heard a car pull into the drive. "That must be him. I'll go talk to him. Maybe you should get some sleep, Carie." Brian suggested. He heard Carie walk to her room and close the door.

Thirty seconds later, a gunshot echoed from the driveway. Allen jumped up and ran out into the hall, fearful for what might be happening. He ran into Carie and fell over. A man dressed all in black, even a black mask walked into the room. He pointed the gun and fired.

The shot pierced Carie's skull in the middle of her forehead.

"Mother!" Allen cried out. The man in black smiled evilly pointed the gun at Allen, and fell over, dead. Brad was right behind the man, a gun still hot in his hand. Allen ran to Brad and wept, Brad hugging Allen tightly to him, whispering reassurances.

His mother and father were dead.

May 1

Three days, 5 hours/2015

Allen sat in his seat quietly, looking out the airplane window. Uncle Brad had taken him to the lab for a short visit, and gave him something to drink. Allen took a short nap and, when he woke up, Uncle Brad told him that they were moving to Japan.

Allen felt no objections, seeing as how Japanese was his first language anyway. Allen felt a great emptiness inside him, as if everything he had ever had was stripped away from him. He was no longer normal. Added to that fact, he could remember nothing as to what happened to him before his parents had adopted him.

Uncle Brad was frantically typing away at his computer, his left arm in a brace from where he had been hit by a gunshot wound earlier. Uncle Brad had booked them a Charter flight, and he had told Allen that when they made it to Tokyo, he would prove to the world that he was special. That he was better than everyone else.

'I don't want to be special. I don't want to be better than everyone else. I want to be the same as everyone else.' He thought.

'I want to have friends. I want to be normal!' His mind screamed as a tear rolled down his cheek.

'No. Boys don't cry. Normal boys don't cry. And yet… I've been stripped of my childhood, haven't I?' I have been stripped of everything. Even the little normality that I had once possessed.' He thought, face growing hard.

'It's no use trying to be normal. I must try to be strong. I have to prove that I'm not just a freak with no purpose. I am strong. I am Tashiama Allen.' Allen thought, leaving his childhood behind and becoming a man.

-Adam clusters are growing well. They are combining with Fuja and will soon become the final form. All is according to schedule.

-The Adam clusters, named "Allen", have achieved sentience. It is clear that, instead of achieving rebirth, we have awakened Adam, the original human. If he merges with the rest of Fuja, he will destroy all existence, such a thing that cannot be allowed.

-After an attempt on Allen's life by giving him poison, there was no effect. Bradley stabbed him several times in critical places with a knife, and he healed instantly. Allen cannot be killed. It was Bradley's advice that they make him an Eva pilot and inject the liquid that Brad created to destroy the Fuja cells in him into the LCL. Any other way would be useless.

-Adam is awakening, triggered in the fight against Bren, his AT Field activated, and the Darkness inside him began to emerge*…

{*Hence the title…}

End of Chapter 25


	26. Chapter 26

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

The reviewer, Second Son, is a very interesting fellow. He slightly, but only ever so slightly, scares me.

And yes, I purposefully wrote Allen as, to be quite frank, a jackass and a player. At first, Allen was going to be the main character, but I then decided against it because I found the character to be too much like me, only with out the ability to get the girls. In the first draft of my story, I killed off Kaji for those same reasons.

However, do to the large gaping hole in the plot that created, I had to make a young Kaji with even LESS respect for other peoples' feelings. That made me not hate Kaji so much and, thusly, made it possible for me to write about him. Soon after, I got very irritated with Allen, and wanted him to get his ass kicked at least once, so I set up a scene so that Shinji would do it. 

You see, Allen is VERY strong. Due to the chip in his head, he knows basically every form of martial arts known today, and a few that aren't. So I had Shinji come up from behind him and take him out. Simple, yes? This also solved the problem of how I was going to get Asuka and Shinji back together. I had planned on keeping Asuka and Shinji apart for a bit longer than I did, but there was really no point to stretching it out other than to antagonize people who are reading my Fan fic. 

And also, No, I did NOT make Drac out to be perfect, or even remotely close to such. No one said it in that many words, but I know, by the way some people wrote their reviews, that some feel that way. He is VERY emotional, and VERY honorable. That's basically his character outline. Though he is a tad bit… Ah… Crackers…

LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE, SECOND SON! You've made me go on another rant! I hope you're happy! I apologize, everyone, for my longwinded Rant, and I will try to cut back on the stupid, "The Making Of" style of forwards… Bloody half a PAGE is what this is… Iie…

One more thing. If you don't already know, I will be keeping all of the side stories in a different story heading. Styphon, you should read Misato's chapter. You'd like it! :)

Enjoy the story. Have fun reading. La-de-la.

Chapter 26:

The Turning Point

"Okay. If this is what you want." Shinji said, backing away from Asuka slowly.

"What? You're not even going to argue with me?" Asuka asked, astonished.

"Why would I?" Shinji asked, leaving the room without making eye contact. Asuka felt herself go limp as sadness overtook her.

'Shinji… I'm sorry. It's for your own safety.' Asuka thought. Her sadness quickly switched to anger. 'Where does he get off not even putting up a fight for me? Am I not even important enough to him? His spine snapped like a twig under pressure. Weak spineless Baka Shinji…'

'Why did you do it?'

'Because that is what she wanted, and because I wanted to make her happy.'

"Shinji… You idiot…" Asuka whispered softly. "What makes me happy has nothing to do with anything. I want to make you safe."

'But his safety would make ME happy.'

'I guess it is my own selfish desires after all, isn't it?'

'If they were my own selfish desires, I would say, "To HELL with his safety, I want to have him right now." This is not what I did. I sacrificed my relationship with him, the most precious thing in my life, so that he may live.'

'He probably hates me now.'

'But at least he's safe.'

'And yet, I'd rather live one hour WITH him than a lifetime without him…'

"Baka…" Asuka whispered, pressing her face into her pillow.

***

"It's… A Cow…" Maya said, sweatdropping.

"A… Cow?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yes… The cow is generating the AT-Field…" Maya said, smiling awkward.

"Correction, Maya-san. It is a calf." Drac said quietly, looking at his opponent from his eva. "This being is mentioned in Revelations, along with 3 others. However, what they are doing here… That's anyone's guess…"

"Have you been studying, Sixth Child?" Gendo asked.

"Sir, I had the Bible memorized when I was 12. My faith is what kept me alive through Hell." Drac said quietly.

"And yet, we still live in Hell." Allen muttered quietly, sitting silently in his eva. "What keeps you alive now?" Drac grew silent, focusing on the battle before him.

"Hey! Where's Shinji and Satan-Er… Asuka?" Touji asked.

"Away." Drac said coldly. "Focus on the battle."

"Dracan knows much more than he lets on." Fuuyutski muttered.

"What? Blood type orange… the AT-Field is gone…" Maya whispered. "And we lost the cow… Er… Calf…"

"It's adapting. It realizes that we can detect its AT-field, so it turns it off." Gendo said.

"Yes… We may not be able to detect it until it's too late." Fuuyutski said, bringing a hand to his chin.

"Call Allen back. Have the others search for the Angel." Gendo said.

"What? Why?" Ritsuko asked.

"If the Angel breaks into the Geo front, we will need some sort of defense. We can't detect it, so it may find other means of entering." Gendo explained.

"The angels are still attempting to reach Lilith. Kaoru must not have told them." Fuuyutski stated.

"Or maybe they are trying to free Lilith now that it is fully regenerated…" Gendo trailed off, gazing at the screen intensely.

***

"Well, then… I do not see any COWS!!!!" Touji screamed, rather irked.

"Well, it would be rather easy to find, since all the cows in Japan DIED in the SECOND IMPACT!" Kensuke bellowed.

"Shut up and keep looking!" Hikari yelled, slightly irritated herself.

"This is pointless, Commander Ikari. We won't be able to find it. At least not in the evas." Rei said, tapping lightly against the arm control of Unit 00. Commander Ikari nodded slightly.

"Very well. Return to the hangars…" Gendo said.

Allen turned off all of the screens cluttering up his vision, and continued to the place where he was told to go. He found his eva submerged to the waist in an odd colored water as it waded through to the other side. What was on the other side disturbed him greatly.

An angel hung from the ground, suspended on a cross.

"Seven eyes…" Allen whispered quietly, looking away from it with a feeling slightly resembling fear. "What am I doing down here, sir?" Allen asked quietly, looking across the synthetic sea.

"You are waiting." Gendo replied.

"For?" Allen asked, slightly annoyed, to which he received no answer.

Suddenly, the Angel on the cross broke free of the restraint on its right arm. This caused Allen to spin around in his eva and face it, but he was too late. A bolt of energy crashed into Unit 04, sending it into the water. 

"Lilith is free…" Fuuyutski murmured, taking a step back from the screen..

Allen was quick to his feet as he drew out his prog knife, but was again knocked back by Lilith. Allen lost his grip on the knife and Lilith caught it, wielding it as an Eva would. Lilith, with its other hand, picked Unit 04 out of the water and threw it back onto the land.

"What's happening?! What's going on?! ALLEN!!" Yumi cried out.

With the speed of lightning, Lilith was on Unit 04 again, tearing at the eva's armor, and exposing the core. With a swift downward stab of the knife, Unit 04's core was pierced, causing a great explosion that shook the whole of the Geo Front.

***

"What… That Eva… That was a core…" Kensuke whispered quietly. "What does this mean?"

"Evas ARE, angels, Kensuke. Or at least they are made to be similar." Drac told him.

"What are you saying?" Hikari asked, astonished.

"That's enough, Dracan." Ritsuko said firmly. "I don't know where you got it, but that is classified information!"

"So it's alright for kids to get INTO these things and not even know what they are?" Drac shouted accusingly.

"Stop this." Gendo said. "Lilith has broken free. You must go and stop it." Gendo said.

"But that is where Allen was!" Drac said shakily. "What happened to him?" Gendo made no response. He only looked into Drac's eyes with a piercing finality.

"Allen…" Yumi whispered quietly, knowing what must have happened.

"Unit 04 was defeated. We can no longer detect the Seventh Child's life signs." Maya said sadly.

***

The explosion cleared to reveal an unharmed angel, and nothing more than rubble. The angel dug through the rubble of the Eva and began to search for the boy that it knew survived.

'Adam must die.' Lilith thought, readying the blow that would kill him.

A very black AT Field burst from the rubble and sent the angel backward.

"I am the Alpha and The Omega… The First and the Last… The Beginning and the End…" The boy said, rising above the ashes of his Eva. "The beginning of Man, and the End of Existence." Adam said as a lance of energy burst forth from his hand and knocked the knife from Lilith's hand.

'You must die…' Lilith said.

"I will let you leave, Lilith, knowing that you will die with the rest of existence. Run from me with the few precious moments you have left to live. I will see Ikari now." Adam said, floating slowly away from the Angel.

'You will not win, Adam. That is the one thing that I have learned while being imprisoned by these humans. They are very resourceful, and they will always win in the end.' Lilith said, cutting through the layers of Geo Front shielding like paper to the surface.

"Or so you assume." Adam said to the retreating figure.

***

"I will leave this to you, Doctor." Gendo said hurriedly as he left. Ritsuko shrugged, wanting to know exactly WHAT was being left to her. Lilith was gone now. So was the other angel. What else was there to take care of?

Allen walked into the room casually. "Have you seen Commander Ikari, Doctor Akagi?" He asked politely.

"He just left. Are you alright?" Ritsuko asked.

"I'm fine. I need to talk to Commander Ikari." Allen said urgently.

"I don't know where he is now. I need to run a check on you now. Come with me." Ritsuko said.

"No." Allen said.

"What?" Ritsuko asked, astonished.

"You will tell me where the Commander went." Allen said in an emotionless demand.

"I will tell you, when I'm good and ready. Now you WILL come with me and get tested." Ritsuko said firmly, grabbing his wrist. With a quick twist, Allen removed her hand, causing her to scream out in pain.

"I will go where I want to go, Doctor Akagi." Allen said coldly. "Your death can be painful, or it can be quick. Where is Commander Ikari?"

"I… I don't know… He left quickly…" She said, weeping.

"Not good enough." Allen said, picking her up by her head with one hand. "Good bye." He said as he squeezed her head, bursting it like a melon. Blood and brain matter oozed from between his fingers as he grabbed her spine and removed it from the rest of her body.

***

"Oh God…" Yumi whispered, looking at the remains of Akagi Ritsuko.

"What could have done this…" Hikari said in tears, clinging to Touji's chest.

"Where are Maya and the others?" Rei asked, trying to ignore the large bloody mess on the ground.

Yumi fell to her knees and began to vomit. Kensuke put a hand on her shoulder lightly.

"Are you going to be okay, Yumi?" Kensuke asked, concerned.

"Yeah… I'll… Be fine…" She said, standing up with Kensuke's help.

"Maya! Wake up!" Drac said, slapping in the face the unconscious form that had fallen behind her desk.

"W-wha… Sempai…" Maya said quietly, looking around the room.

"What happened here? What's going on?" Drac asked hurriedly. Maya began to weep, tears of seeing horrors beyond her imagination.

"Allen… He… He came in and he… Oh, Sempai!" Maya cried, clinging to Drac's chest in tears. Drac grew stiff at this action, not knowing what to do when one of his superiors bursts into a fit of tears.

"Allen…" Drac said, the name rolling off his tongue with a vile hatred as if the word were the representation of pure evil. "Please don't tell Yumi about what you saw, okay?" Drac asked her softly.

"But why… I… Okay…" Maya said, sniffling, not making coherent sentences. Drac gently released himself from Maya's grasp, stood, and headed for the door.

"Drac! Where are you going?" Rei asked, knowing the answer even though she hadn't heard what Maya had said.

"I have something to take care of. It won't take long." Drac said with an unconvincing smile.

"Can I come with you?" Rei asked.

"No, don't worry about it. Just stay here with Maya." Drac said. 'I don't want to take you with me, Rei. Not to where I'm going.' Drac said to himself.

"Goodbye, Drac." Rei said, tears streaming from her eyes. Drac felt his heart weaken as he turned away from her.

"Goodbye, Rei." Drac said, leaving the room.

"Where's Drac-kun going?" Hikari asked.

"He's going to die." Rei said, emotion leaving her voice. "He's going to confront an enemy of which there is no hope of him beating."

"What?" Hikari said, not understanding.

"Drac won't be coming back this time." Rei said, eyes locked on the door from which Drac had left.

"What are you talking about?" Hikari asked, concerned for her friend's sanity.

"He knows that he can't win, but…" Rei said, concealing tears. "He went anyway. Because he had to…"

"Rei…?" Hikari asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, Pilot Horaki." Rei said in a monotone voice before sitting in a chair and waiting for someone to tell her what to do.

***

"Adam has awakened, and he HAS made the pact. He is going to destroy existence. Not just the planet, in Drac's case. He will destroy God as well as all of his creation. If he is not stopped, he will become a god himself." Brian said quietly.

"Drac is the best chance we have. Shinji is… There's little to no chance in having Shinji do it." Rachel declared.

"It's too soon, though. Adam wasn't supposed to awaken until much later." Mara objected.

"Lilith may have cost us our future. Adam is too powerful now that he has made the pact. There is no chance of Drac beating Allen at this point. However…" Michael said.

"Already there, Michael. I'll order a Sniper right away." Kibby winked, grabbing his cellphone.

"If Adam kills Drac… There will be no coming back this time…" Brian murmured quietly, clasping his hands together in prayer.

***

Drac slid into the apartment, revolver in hand. He crept against the wall, peeking into the kitchen.

'Not there.'

Drac slid into the living room, and caught a glimpse of him in his room. 'Bingo.' Drac said triumphantly as he aimed the gun at the base of Allen's neck and fired.

A loud bang erupted from the gun, followed by the sound of a bullet bouncing off a hard surface.

A black AT Field had encased Allen protectively.

"Almost, Drac." 'Allen' said as he turned around. "I almost didn't stop the bullet. You almost won." He said, walking slowly toward him.

"Die!" Drac screamed, firing several rounds, knowing it to be useless.

"Why did you come here, Drac? You had to know that you couldn't win." Allen said. "You had to know that there was no chance in killing me. Drac dropped his gaze, as well as the gun.

"I had hoped. But seeing the look in your eyes washes away any form of hope. My brother really did die all those years ago." Drac said quietly.

"So you knew? I wouldn't have expected it of you, how you acted." Allen said with a sinister smile.

"Yes, I knew. I knew what Brad did to you after you died. But you can't do this, Allen! You just can't!" Drac cried, voice filled with emotion.

"WHY?!" The only FOND memory I have of my family was of my brother promising to protect me! A promise he did not keep! I have NOTHING!" Allen cried angrily.

"That's not true! What about Yumi?" Drac asked quickly.

"The only reason she's with me is because of SEELE. They needed someone to keep tabs on me. Everything became clear when I agreed with him. I know everything now." Allen said as though he had just bitten into a lemon. "The truth is a bitter fruit, Dracan. Or should I say Dracorian?" Allen smiled evilly.

"Allen is dead. All that is left… All that exists is Adam." Drac said sadly. Black wings burst from his back as a staff appeared in his hand. "I promised Drac that I wouldn't hurt his brother. There is nothing of him left in you."

"Where is the real Drac? Or was there ever one in the first place?" Adam queried.

"Drac died when he vowed to avenge his brother's death. I am what replaced him." Drac said.

"I see. So you've been pretending all along. It seems that I WASN'T told everything after all." Allen said. "Since you aren't my brother, I will simply kill you."

"You are welcome to try, Adam. You are welcome to try." Drac said with a grin.

End of Chapter 26

This is the season finale. You won't get any more until next summer! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

So how does everyone like the plot twist? Fun? Or Stupid? Sigh… I need to find something better to do with my spare time… Like actually get a girlfriend. Or at least a life…


	27. Chapter 27

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This chapter is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack of the World Trade Center. May God watch over those souls who died, and guide them to Heaven.

Chapter 27

"Honestly, Dracorian. I didn't think jealousy would be enough to get you out of your place in heaven. Did my getting Eden influence you that much?" Adam asked, forming an Energy sword in his hand.

"My coming here had nothing to do with you, Adam. Having the chance to kill you was just an added bonus." Drac said with a smile, getting a firm grip on the ground with his feet.

"I see. What did bring you here, then?" Adam asked.

"None of your business!" Drac screamed, swinging his staff at Adam. It was deflected easily.

"Would it have anything to do with Rei?" Adam asked with a villainous smile spreading across his face.

"Shut up!" Drac said, ramming Adam through the wall of the apartment.

"No, It couldn't be that. Let me Check… Ah yes. Ikari Yui." Adam said.

"Damn you!" Drac cried, thrusting the butt of the quarterstaff into Adam's gut, doing no damage to him whatsoever. Adam cut off one of Drac's legs swiftly. Drac cried out in pain.

"That's it, isn't it?" Adam asked. "She rejected you, so you went for the next best thing. Her clone." 

"N-None of your business!" Drac said, launching a bolt of energy at Adam. Adam deflected it with his sword.

"You are more pathetic than I had first thought, Dracorian. Killing you will be nothing on my mind." Adam said, raising his sword for the final blow. Drac smiled slightly, and closed his eyes.

Adam turned around quickly…

To see a bullet whiz right by him and hit Drac in the forehead, killing him instantly.

***

"Adam killed the Sniper shortly afterwards." Kibby reported, sitting down after he was finished.

"Dracorian lives on to fight another day…" Greg whispered, leaning back in his chair.

"Shall we start the revivification process right away?" Mara asked.

"Why not?" Brian said quietly, looking out the window of his office, not really hearing the question. Mara called her office quickly, and waited for someone to pick up.

"Ma'am, this place has gone to hell! Something has just struck the lab, and…" The connection was cut off.

"I think Dracorian is going to revive the original." Mara said quietly.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Drac coming back would help in the worst case scenario, which is rapidly becoming a reality." Michael said. "And that is what is going to happen if we aren't more careful from now on, Brian." Michael glared slightly.

"Your threats are getting old, Michael." Greg said, slightly irritated. To this, Brian tapped twice, then once, then twice on the table before leaning back slightly. Glass shattered as a bullet entered Michael's heart. Greg leaped from his seat in surprise, Mara rushed to Michael's side, and Rachel fainted.

"Well aimed." Brian said with a smile.

"I pick the best." Kibby said with a grin.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, BRIAN?!" Greg screamed.

"Michael was becoming a threat to the organization… a threat to SEELE, and had to be removed." Brian said calmly.

"We are now short a member." Mara pointed out. "There needs to be Seven." Mara let the dead body fall. "An accurate shot, Kibby. Your marksmen must be skilled."

"Kaji trained them, not me." Kibby waved off the complement.

"When does Harper get back?" Greg asked.

"When his job is completed. He needs to kill Shinji with NO WITNESSES, remember. I imagine Asuka is all over him." Brian said.

"That still doesn't fix the matter of the missing counsel member. We need seven, Brian." Mara said, walking over to Rachel to see if she was alright.

"Drew, enter please." Brian said on the intercom. Drew entered the room with a smile on his face.

"Drew?" Mara whispered, shaking Rachel awake. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Drew-Sensei…?" Rachel whispered.

"It's great to see everyone again." Drew said with a smile.

"You died… This isn't possible…" Greg whispered.

"Isn't it?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"Drew will take Michael's place." Brian said.

"You had this all planned out, didn't you? You were gonna shoot Michael even if he DIDN'T threaten you." Greg shouted. "That's sickening! I can't believe you! You've grown more evil than the evil we fight against!"

"Perhaps." Brian said sadly.

"Carie dying was an accident, wasn't it, Brian? You were hoping that they would kill Allen first." Greg accused. "Carie wasn't supposed to die. She was just supposed to be thought dead like you."

"Shut up, Greg." Brian said coldly.

"But when Brad arrived, you had to do it. To your own wife. You bastard. I can't believe you ordered such a thing." Greg said, turning away from Brian. Greg's words were answered by a fist to the face..

"Shut up." Brian said, eyes glowing with cold flame.

"When this is over, you will never see me again, Brian." Greg said, leaving the room.

***

"It's okay, Yumi. I'm here for you." Kensuke whispered quietly into her ear. Maya had told him what had happened, but she refused to tell Yumi. That was an opinion that he greatly agreed with. Better to think Allen dead than to know the truth of what he had become.

"He's gone… My dad, My brother… They're gone, too… And Sis was kidnapped… Mom is away… I have no one left…" She whimpered into his chest. Kensuke held her close to him, running his hands through her hair.

"It's okay, Yumi. You're not alone. I'm here." Kensuke repeated. Kensuke felt his heart go to stone and his body grow cold as ice. He found his mind filled with thoughts of hate. 'How could Allen do this to her?' Kensuke wondered with disbelief, holding her closer.

'Damn you, Allen.' Kensuke said to himself. 'How could you do this? You were my friend…' Kensuke drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.

'How could you do this to Yumi? Why, Allen? Why are you doing this? Why kill Doctor Akagi? Why, Damn it!?' Kensuke's eyes lit up with the fires of hate.

"I have no one…" Yumi whispered. Kensuke lifted her chin slightly, and looked her in the eyes with passion.

"Don't worry, Yumi. I won't leave you." Kensuke said, kissing her lightly on the lips. Yumi pressed herself against him, begging for any affection that anyone was willing to give her. Kensuke broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. A look of sadness overwhelmed her. She was blindly clinging to any sort of warmth given to her, not caring who it was from. Tears streamed from her eyes like a torrent of anguish and sorrow.

Kensuke rested her head on his chest again, and told her, "Just relax, Yumi. I'll protect you."

'Kensuke, you fool. She doesn't see you that way, and yet you push yourself on her when she is at her weakest. You're so pathetic.' Kensuke chastised himself as he kissed her forehead gently.

***

Ayanami Rei sat on the couch and stared at the picture in front of her hanging on the wall. Drac had painted it one day, and had given it to her.

It wasn't a particularly GOOD painting. In fact, the water colors leaked down the painting when he had hung it before it was dry. But it was a picture Drac had painted for her. To her, it WASN'T a bad painting. To her, it was a work of art. To her, it was a masterpiece.

The painting suddenly fell from the wall, and fell to the ground with no provocation by any outside force. Rei picked it up and hung it back on the wall. 'Is it a sign?' Rei wondered. Rei suddenly felt a stinging pain in her heart, causing her to fall over in pain.

"Drac…" Rei muttered before passing out.

***

When she came to, the pain was gone, but she was left with an empty feeling. Rei neither knew nor cared what was the matter with her. She felt tired, hungry, and thirsty. She wondered how she ever let herself get as such… Rei stood up, took a bag of potato chips that were lying around, and ate them, as well as a glass of water. Afterwards she went to her room and put her head on the pillow. She pulled the covers over her head and went to sleep.

When she came to, her heart ached excruciatingly. She found herself fighting the urge to cry out in pain. Rei didn't know what was causing this pain, but she knew that it hurt. After a few minutes, the pain stopped abruptly, letting her take in a deep breath.

She suddenly felt the urge to leave the apartment. She slowly picked herself off the ground and inched her way to the door, still rather dizzy from the extreme agony she had experienced. She opened the door slowly and stepped out, looking for whatever might have compelled her forward…

***

Drac opened his eyes slowly, awakening from a long sleep. His muscles ached from lack of use, and his eyes stung from the bright light of the sun. When he finally could see enough to know where he was, all he could see was the sky, and a few clouds.

When Drac realized that he was 300 ft in the air, he panicked. He was suddenly dropped, and he landed on a building not 5 feet under him. He looked around, only to see sky. Drac looked out around the buildings to see if he could find any familiar landmarks, and he spotted Yumi's house. He headed there slowly, admiring the changes made to the neighborhood over the years.

He opened the door, saying, "Knock, Knock!" and headed up to Yumi's room. Upon entrance, he noticed Yumi in the arms of a boy that he couldn't quite recall… For some reason, Yumi was crying.

"Yumi? Why are you crying?" Drac asked softly. Yumi turned to him and gaped. "What?"

"Your hair changed color." The boy pointed out. Drac looked in the mirror and shook his head.

"No, it's still brown." Drac said, wondering who this boy was.

"But your hair was blue before…" The boy said nervously, pushing his glasses back up on his face.

"Was it? I remember one time I dyed my hair blond, but I got in trouble for that. I wouldn't dye my hair blue. Mom would be upset." Drac said.

"Drac…?" Yumi whispered.

"Yeah, Yumi?" Drac asked. Yumi slid away from the boy and walked within an inch of Drac's face. She looked deeply into his eyes for a long period of time. "What?" Drac asked curiously.

"Your eyes are blue." Yumi said. Drac nodded.

"I know. When have they not been?" Drac asked.

"They were red." The boy said quietly.

"Who are you that knows so much about me, sir?" Drac asked.

"I'm… Kensuke…" He said, sweatdropping.

"Kensuke… Sounds familiar…" Drac mumbled. "Sounds like one of those names you hear in Anime." Drac shrugged. Yumi took Drac's hands and looked him strait in the eye.

"Drac, what happened to you today. Give me a list of events." Yumi said firmly.

"Hmm… Let me think…" Drac brought a hand to his chin. "I woke up, finding myself falling, and I landed on a building. I saw your house, so I came here." Drac shrugged again.

"What's the last thing you remember before that?" Yumi asked. Drac thought really hard about it, but couldn't remember much…

"I… I remember being at my house… Allen and Mom weren't moving, and…" Drac shook his head and looked into her eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because… I haven't seen that look in your eyes for a long time." Yumi said. Drac realized that he must have amnesia, and he knew this boy, but forgot about him.

"What look?" Drac asked.

"The look of tranquility. Peace of mind. Or is it innocence?" Yumi said simply. "You're different somehow…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Drac said, eyeing Yumi strangely.

"Your hair and eyes are the same as they were before, too." Yumi said. "What's going on…?" Yumi put a hand to her head, as though she had a severe headache.

"Maybe we should tell Rei about this…" Kensuke suggested.

"Rei? Who's that?" Drac asked.

"Ayanami Rei? Your Girlfriend?" Yumi reminded him.

"I had a girlfriend?" Drac asked, confused. This response startled both Yumi and Kensuke.

"We should definitely call Rei." Yumi said slowly, grabbing her cellphone.

"Hello?" Rei responded in a monotone.

"There's something wrong with Drac… Could you come over for a bit?" Yumi asked.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"He's your boyfriend, and you might know what's wrong with him." Yumi said, completely baffled.

"I don't need a boyfriend." Rei said.

"WHAT?!" Yumi screamed.

"I want to sleep. A boyfriend will not help me complete this task. Is that all, Pilot Kanashimi?" Rei asked.

"Y-yes… That's all…" Yumi said. Click. "She hung up on me… What the Hell is going on today?!?!" Yumi screamed.

"Maybe you've gone insane." Drac supplied with a strait face.

"Not funny, Drac. I just might be…" Yumi said, sitting on her bed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Yumi said, standing up again and leaving to answer the door.

When she opened the door, Rei pushed passed her and ran up the stairs. Yumi followed her into her room.

Rei hugged Drac tightly, pressing her head against his chest, weeping and saying incoherent words. Drac stood there, arms out in surprise, obviously wondering who this girl was.

"Er…" Drac said quietly, hugging her back awkwardly.

"Rei…?" Yumi asked. 'How'd she get here so fast? I called her house…' Yumi wondered.

"I thought you were dead… I couldn't feel you anymore…" Rei said between sobs.

Drac's eyes suddenly grew wide, and his body grew limp as he began to fall over.

"DRAC!" Rei cried out, holding him up. Yumi ran to his side and checked him out. Drac was doing something he hadn't done in years. He was having a seizure.

***

"Can Drac come out and play, Drac's Mom?" Yumi asked. Tasha laughed at the title and nodded.

"Alright, but only for a short while. Drac isn't that healthy as of late." Tasha said. Yumi and Drac played for a while, playing dodge ball. After getting hit in the forehead once, Drac didn't get up. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and his body was shaking and spazming.

"DRAC'S HURT!" Yumi cried over and over again to Drac's mother, taking her outside and showing her.

"It's okay Yumi. Drac does this on occasion. It's not your fault." Tasha said, patting the girl on the head. "Drac needs to rest now, okay?" Yumi nodded, and tried to stop crying.

***

Drac began to feel a warmth in the side of his head when the girl had hugged him. When he pursued that warmth, he lost control of his body. He realized that this warmth was a presence… Of someone…

'Drac?' The voice asked

'Who are you?' Drac whispered.

'It's me! Rei!' Rei said, voice full of sadness.

'Do I know you?' Drac asked before he had a flash of memory, seeing a smiling blue haired girl in thousands of pictures flashing through his head. It hurt his head to remember so much at once…

'Drac?' Rei asked.

'Rei… I think… I don't know… My head hurts…' Drac whispered.

"Wake up." Rei said, shaking him. Drac opened his eyes slowly, seeing a pair of red eyes gazing into his. "Are you alright?" Rei asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"I'm… Fine…" He whispered, sitting up slowly. "My head hurts. That's all." Drac closed his eyes and leaned up against the wall. "Does anyone have any Aspirin?" He muttered, rubbing his temples in a circular motion.

Rei looked at Yumi, and Yumi nodded. "I don't know. I'll have to check." Looking at Kensuke, she said, "I may need some help, Kensuke. Could you come, too?" Kensuke looked at her as if she were smoking a relatively potent narcotic.

"Why? Can't you find aspirin in your own house?" Kensuke asked before being elbowed in the head. "Oh, right. That. Sure, I'll help." Kensuke said, following Yumi out the door.

As soon as Kensuke was on the other side, Yumi closed the door.

"Aren't you afraid that they'll do it on your bed?" Kensuke teased.

"Shut up, Kensuke." Yumi said sadly, walking down into the living room and sitting down. "Anyway, Kensuke…" Yumi began, eyeing him evilly.

"Err… Yes?" Kensuke backed up a bit.

"Why did you kiss me?" Yumi's eyes burned with a liquefying glare. Kensuke swallowed and countered.

"Why did you kiss me back?" Kensuke asked.

"Well… I was…" Yumi reared back, not prepared to give an answer. She shook her head and glared at Kensuke with malice. "Don't change the subject!" Kensuke paused, sighed, and came up with the best lie he could on the spot.

"Well, I wanted to get SOMETHING from a girl at some point." Kensuke said with a grin. "It was the perfect chance, since no other girl would let me within a 2 meter radius." Kensuke shrugged.

"I might just believe that, coming from you…" Yumi paused, and continued her questioning. "But why didn't you just feel me up instead of kissing me?" 

"It's getting late, Yumi. I gotta go. See ya." Kensuke said, heading for the door.

"Answer the question!" She screamed after him.

"Bye Bye." Kensuke said, closing the door behind him. Yumi found herself staring at the closed door for several minutes after he was gone.

"Kensuke…" Yumi whispered, clasping her hands to her chest and gazing at the floor sadly.

End of Chapter 27

I've been having back problems as of late, and I get extreme pain whenever I type at my computer. If you're a good writer, and familiar with my work, you can tell where I was losing concentration first. Anyway, I'm not going to be able to write as much as I used to due to my back. I'll still be writing, though, so when I post another chapter, know that I was doing it through great pain just so that you could read my fic. I write through pain for my loyal reviewers… 

"What a looser." Allen says

"Yeah. Total Crack-baby. Someone should put this guy away." Drac says, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, shut up! I made you two, and I can unmake you!" Doff cries, clutching his left side.

"You're just upset because I have Rei, and you don't!" Drac sticks his tongue out at Doff. Doff smiles and begins frantically writing. After a few seconds, Rei comes in wearing a mini-skirt and a tank top. She sits on Doff's lap and kisses him on the cheek. Doff sticks his tongue out at Drac.

Rei spits on the floor to get the fowl taste out. "THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT IN MY JOB DISCRIPTION! ECCHI!" Rei cries, upending a wastebasket over Doff's head. As Rei is leaving with Drac, Allen begins to laugh hysterically at Doff.

""You just watch it! I've got something planned for you too!" Doff glares.

"Hey! What else an you do to me? You already got me playing the roll of a monster!" Allen glares as a pink tutu appears on his body.

"And I'm killing you off at the end!" Doff says, sticking his tongue out. Allen flips Doff off as he hides behind a desk.

The end of the stupid rant


	28. Chapter 28

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

From this point on, I will have titles for the story. They will have little or no relevance to the plot, so don't worry if you're confused. I need to have some humor now that I've gone to the "No turning back" point in my Fic. You notice how Eva is generally not continued from the end of the series, but taken around ep. 20 or earlier? Around there is the "No turning back" point. I believe it's right after Touji is toasted. I'm sure there's an actual term for it, but I don't know it. I just noticed this through writing and watching the series.

Chapter 28:

Shinji comes out of the closet

"Shinji, how long are you going to be mad at me about this?" Asuka sighed heavily as she walked to school.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Nee-chan. I'm not angry." Shinji said indignantly, putting emphasis on the Japanese word for sister.

"Do you think I like it? I WANT to be able to…" Asuka leaned to his ear. "I want to be able to hold your hand. I want to be able to hug you and kiss you. But I can't." Asuka whispered in his ear. "Do you know how badly I want to embrace you right now?" Asuka said, holding back tears.

"It's okay, Diana. I understand. It's perfectly alright for you to get a boyfriend at school." Shinji said, staring forward, unaffected by Asuka's words.

"Is that what's bothering you?" Asuka whispered. "Do you actually thing that I would do that?"

"I don't know. Would you?" Shinji asked. Asuka stopped abruptly, hurt by Shinji's lack of faith in her. Shinji immediately saw this and stopped. "I'm…" He began, then stopped. His eyes grew firm, and turned away. "We're going to be late for school. Hurry up." He said, voice cracking.

A single tear rolled down Asuka's cheek before she slowly followed after him. 'Shinji…' Asuka said to herself. 'Were you going to say, "I'm sorry"? Have you changed so much that you can't say those words anymore?' Asuka asked. 'Please, Shinji. Don't change for me. Stay as you are. Don't change. Stay as my Baka-Shinji. Please…'

***

'Why am I feeling so strange…? I remember things… But… They don't feel like they happened to me…' Drac thought to himself, looking oddly at the girl who he 'remembered' as Rei holding his hand.

"Are you sure you're okay, Drac?" Rei said, gripping his hand tightly. Pleasant memories surfaced from the depths of his mind…

"The lights are a beautiful sight from afar, you know. They are even more beautiful when watched with someone else." Drac said from his position by a tree. Rei turned around, blindly throwing herself into his arms and kissing him passionately.

"Drac… You were dead…" Rei said finally, breaking the kiss.

"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for awhile." Drac said, touching her cheek gently. "Did you honestly think that I'd die without giving you a chance to say goodbye?" Drac asked quietly. Rei touched his face gently.

"What did you do to your hair?" Rei asked mockingly. Drac shrugged and ran a hand through it.

"I dyed it. I liked your hair so much, I thought it would look good on me too." Drac lied, for he didn't want Rei to know what he had become…

"It doesn't matter. You are alive… I must be dreaming." Rei said. Drac's eyes began to twinkle as an idea flared into his mind. He lightly pinched Rei on the butt. "OW! What did you do THAT for?"

"Just to show you that you weren't dreaming…" Drac said with a very unconvincing smile.

"I think you just wanted to touch my butt." Rei said accusingly.

"Can't fool you, can I?" Drac said, gripping her hand tighter than before.

"I love you, Drac…" Rei whispered in his ear.

"I love you too, Rei. More than anything. I would die for you." Drac said. 'And yet I was forced to live for you…' Drac said to himself.

"To live for me?" she asked him. Drac blushed, wondering why he had said it.

"Did I say that aloud?" Drac asked silently.

"I guess so…" She said, and kissed him lightly on the mouth. After the kiss, she placed a finger on his lips and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped a blanket around them and kissed Rei on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Rei-chan…" He said, barely audible, into her ear.

"Goodnight, Dracun." Rei said, closing her eyes, and drifting into sleep.

It was the first time that the mental link between them had appeared…

Dracun. The pet name she had given him. She hadn't used it in a long time…

'All these memories… Are these mine? I've never met this girl before in my life!" Drac shouted to himself. 'And yet… My heart yearns for her presence… My body longs for her touch… As if we've been together forever…'

"Drac, would you like to go home now?" Rei asked softly. Drac nodded softly, saying nothing.

***

"Welcome to Yanno High School! My name is Chibiyasu Mina! I will be your class rep for the remainder of your stay here, newcomers!" The Green haired girl said, making a slight bow. Giving Shinji the once over, she commented, "Uh, huh! Me likey! New hot guys are ALWAYS welcome!" She said, giving him a wink.

"Uh… Thanks… I think?" Shinji said, sweatdropping. She quickly wrapped her arm around his, tugging him along with her.

"I'll show you around the school! I know several nice places! The Library, the Janitor's closet, the bushes…" She said, disappearing with Shinji. Asuka nearly protested, but then remembered that they were supposed to be siblings…

Asuka looked away and headed up the steps, entering the school. 

Asuka sat in her seat, looking out the window, waiting for class to start. Asuka felt a tap on her shoulder, so she turned round to see who it was.

"Excuse me, Miss. Might I have the privilege of knowing your name?" One purple haired guy asked.

"Hmm… You might. If you ask me the right way…" Asuka said in her typical Asuka tone.

"Alright… The right way, huh?" The boy cleared his throat before continuing. Asuka watched him fall to his knees and begin to tear up. "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND JUST, I BEG OF YOU FAIR MAIDEN! PLEASE LET YOUR NAME GRACE THESE LOWLY EARS, FOR THOUGH I AM NOT WORTHY TO HEAR IT, IT WOULD BRING ME THE GREATEST JOY OF ALL THAT COULD EVER OCCUR TO ME!" He cried dramatically.

"Um… Diana…" Asuka said, as the whole class clapped, some students even throwing a flower or two.

"Koramiwa Yuuhi." He said with a flourished bow, not a tear in his eye. "Head of the Drama club." With a flick of the wrist, a single rose appeared in his hand. "For you." He said, placing it in her hand. He moved slowly away before taking a seat at the far side of the room.

"Pay no mind to him." The brown haired girl behind her said nervously. "He flirts with all the girls. Especially since he and Mina-sempai broke up." Something about her reminded her greatly of Hikari…

"Well, I'm used to guys fawning all over me! What with my natural beauty and all!" Asuka said grandly, throwing her hair over her shoulder. The girl giggled and extended her hand.

"I'm Arimi. Nice to meet you." She said with a smile.

"My name is Diana. I think we'll get along well, Arimi." Asuka said, shaking her hand.

When the bell rang and Shinji hadn't arrived yet, Asuka began to worry.

"What could he be doing with her? I didn't like what she was implying…" Asuka said to herself.

"What who was implying?" Arimi asked with a smile and a practiced snoop ear. Asuka reared back and stuttered.

"N-Nothing! I was just wondering what was taking my brother so long getting to class…" Asuka said.

"Where is he now?" Arimi asked.

"Well, The Class Rep grabbed his arm and dragged him off…" Asuka shrugged.

"Oh. They're probably in a bush doin' it." Arimi said casually. Asuka was very shocked.

'Like Hikari she is not…' Asuka thought about Arimi. "No, Shin… Er… Yuu is not that kind of guy." Asuka said, hurriedly covering her mistake. 'Besides, he knows he's taken.'

"Then why are they taking so long?" Arimi asked with a raised eyebrow. "I tell ya! You think you know a guy, but he turns out to be just another Male when it comes to Mina-sempai's charms." Arimi shrugged, causing Asuka to shiver.

'Shinji… Where are you?' Asuka gazed at the door for a long time. Just then, Shinji walked through the door and sat at a desk slowly, letting out a sigh. Directly following him was Mina, smiling broadly.

"I'm sorry I was late, Sensei! I was showing the new student around the block!" Mina said with a suggestive note to her voice. The teacher, completely missed the slight differential, but Asuka caught it, and didn't like the girl's choice of words either...

At lunch, She and Shinji sat at lunch together and everything was relatively quiet until Asuka broke the silence.

"So. Where did the Class Rep take you?" Asuka asked calmly. "To the Library, or was a bush more appropriate?"

"I don't think that it's any of your business." Shinji said, looking away from her with a stern look on his face. Asuka reared back, hurt.

"Not any of my business? But I thought…" Asuka said quietly. Mina chose that time to interrupt.

"HELLO, Shinji-kun! How are YOU?" Mina asked sweetly. Shinji went visibly rigid, developing a small grimace on his face.

"H-hello, Mina-san…" Shinji said with a fake smile. She looked at Asuka with slight annoyance, then looked at Shinji with a smile.

"What do you say? Wanna sit with meeeeee? I'm sure you're tired of being with your sister all the time." She said seductively. Shinji looked at Asuka, looked at Mina looked back at Asuka, and put his arm around Mina's waist, greatly surprising both girls.

"Sure, Mina-chan. I'd love to." He said taking his lunch in one had and standing up.

"Really?" Mina said with surprise, squealing with joy. "Alright! You know Shinji, the only other good-looking guy around here is Yuuhi. Course, you're MUCH better than him…" Mina's voice trailed off in the distance.

"Shinji…" Asuka said putting her head down on the table with a tear in her eye.

"What's wrong, Diana? Feeling down?" Yuuhi asked, sitting next to her.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't talk to me." Asuka said firmly. Yuuhi nodded.

"Alright. I'm fine with that." He said, saying nothing more. After about five minutes of Yuuhi staring silently at her face was about enough to drive her crazy.

"Is my face really that interesting?" Asuka asked fighting the urge to slug him.

"You're the prettiest girl in school." Yuuhi said in response.

"And?" Asuka asked, preparing to slug him.

"Do you want to go on a date?" He asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

"W-what?" Asuka asked. "NO! I already…! I don't have time… I just moved in and I need to unpack…" Asuka amended herself.

"That's too bad. A pretty girl like yourself could have any guy in the school." He said with a shrug. "But remember, Diana. I'll get you to go out with me eventually. I always hit my mark." He made a gun with his finger and pointed it at Asuka. He jerked his hand backwards, as if it were the kick of a gun, before turning around and leaving.

'Just what I need. More problems.' Asuka sighed, putting her head back down on the table.

***

"Touji, what WAS that? How could that have happened?" Hikari said hysterically. "That's physically impossible. Her spine was missing! Someone smashed her skull and ripped out her spine!"

"Hikari…" Touji whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Who is sick enough to take the spine with them!? They killed her and kept her backbone! Why?" Hikari cried.

"Hikari." Touji said, turning her around and looking her in the eye. Hikari stopped immediately, looking at Touji with fear dominating her emotions. She threw her arms around Touji's neck and pressed her head against his chest in a fit of tears.

"He got into NERV, and killed Dr. Akagi! What's to stop whoever it is from killing one of us?" Hikari whispered. "What about Shinji and Asuka? Maybe he already got to them… Maybe that's why they didn't come…" Touji held her firmly, trying to assure her.

"Don't worry, Hikari. Do you think Asuka would put up with anyone trying to touch her without her permission?" Touji asked. "If he even tried, she would beat the crap out of him before he could blink!"

Hikari laughed slightly, then nodded. "You're right, Touji. I don't know why I was so worried…" She said quietly. 'But Asuka… Where are you now?' She asked her friend, though she knew not where she could be.

***

"Shinji." Misato said quietly after knocking on his door.

"Come in." Shinji called impatiently. Misato opened the door to find Shinji frustrated with a Calculus problem. "Yes?" Shinji asked, giving Misato a glare, which freaked her out.

"T-there's a girl here to see you… Her name's Mina…" Misato said shakily. Shinji had been getting considerably more firm since he had began to go out with Asuka, and he seemed to be getting rather irritable now that he was no longer allowed to be with her.

"Is Asuka around?" Shinji asked. Misato gasped. Shinji was having a girl behind Asuka's back! Misato was disturbed by this, but thought that it was for the best. They couldn't be together now…

"Yes. She's in her room." Misato said. It was good for Shinji to be forgetting Asuka. Misato was about to leave and tell Mina that Shinji was busy, until Shinji's reply came.

"Okay. Send her down." He said, returning to his work. Misato stopped suddenly, sweatdropping.

"W-what?" Misato asked quietly. Shinji rolled his eyes.

"I said send her down!" Shinji screamed. Misato ran out of the room in a hurry. Shinji just wasn't himself lately…

***

"Hi, Shinji-kun!" Mina squealed as she entered his room. Asuka had her ear pressed against a glass that was firmly secured to the wall. "How are you today?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, Mina-chan! How are you?" Shinji said loudly. Asuka began to fume. 

"He's got a girl already, and we just broke up! We did even REALLY break up! That swine!" Asuka said to herself.

"I'm doing great now that I can see YOU." Mina said happily. "At first, I thought you didn't like me, you know. I got the impression that you liked that girl you live with."

"We're brother and sister. She means nothing to me!" Shinji said louder than necessary.

"I looked into your school profile, and it says that she's adopted." Mina said quietly. "That means you can still be her boyfriend."

"There was a time where I thought I might want to be her boyfriend." Shinji said irritated. "But she made it PERFECTLY clear that she's not interested!" He shouted.

"Why are you shouting at the wall?" Mina asked, slightly confused.

"N-no reason… So… What's up? Why'd you come here today?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I wanted to see you! Do I need any other reason?" Mina asked innocently. "Actually, I wanted to know if you want to go out, tonight being Friday and all."

"Sure. It'll be fun. Where are we going?" Shinji asked.

"Hey! You're the guy! It's supposed to be YOUR call!" Mina said with mock anger.

"Alright. Do you want to go see that new romance film?" Shinji asked.

"Naw. I've already seen it. It wasn't all that good. It just gave me a reason to get clingy on my boyfriend." Mina 's voice changed suddenly to anger. "MAKE THAT EX-boyfriend!"

"How about a nice dinner for two then?" Shinji asked.

"Sounds LOVELY!" She chirped. "But I have to go back to my place and get changed! Pick me up at 8, okay?" The door to Shinji's room opened suddenly, and Asuka put the glass on her end table. A knock came at her door, and Asuka answered it, only to find Mina standing in the hall.

"Y-yes?" Asuka said, surprised.

"Why'd you shoot down Yuu-kun? He's a really good looking guy." She asked. Asuka freaked.

"What are you talking about?!? We're brother and sister!" Asuka said quickly.

"But you're adopted." She replied.

"But… That is…" Asuka stuttered.

"Fine by me. That just means that I get him." Mina said casually. "Never let a catch go, Diana. Someone else will end up getting it in the end. It's not going to wait for your hook to fall back in the water."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mina-san." Asuka said, eyes narrowing. With that, Mina left without a word of farewell. "Fine. Two can play this game." Asuka said.

Calling the phone number that had been attached to the rose Yuuhi gave her, she waited for someone to pick up on the other end.

"Hi. Yuuhi-kun, this is Diana. What are you doing tonight?" Asuka asked loudly.

***

"Drac… What's wrong?" Rei asked as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Nothing's wrong. Why would you say something is wrong?" Drac said unconvincingly.

"Something's wrong. I can feel it. Tell me what's wrong… Please." She pleaded, looking into his eyes. Drac looked away, not capable of looking her in the eye.

"I… I don't… I don't feel anything for you." Drac said quietly. Rei's eyes opened wide in shock, not completely sure that what he said was true, as if needing to see clearer what he had said.

"What…?" She said in disbelief and fear.

"I… I remember things that happened… I remember things that we've done together… But I don't remember the emotions… As if they didn't happen to me…" He said quietly. "I remember that I loved you, but I don't remember what love feels like… I'm sorry." He said, looking at the ground.

Rei slowly inched away from his grasp, tears streaming from her eyes. 'No… It's not true… He can't… I couldn't go on…'

"Rei… I…" He tried to say, but Rei put her hands to her ears to block out the words.

"NO!" She cried out, running out of the room in a dash, not wishing it to be real.

"Rei…" Drac whispered quietly, clenching his fist tightly.

End of Chapter 28


	29. Chapter 29

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

I've noticed a problem with me. It seems that when I'm writing, I have a different personality than when I'm talking to people. When I'm talking to people, I'm generally likeable if not a tad bit annoying. When I'm writing, I am a Total Ass. And even when I'm not writing under my pen name, I find it hard not to sign the paper or story as Doffman. Is this multiple personality disorder, or am I just insane?

Note: I KNOW I'm insane, because I am a co-founder of the SOIP (Society of Insane People) forum. The_ayanami_card! Rei… Hanyan…* You can be a member too at www.envy.nu/soip!

*Please excuse me for the Card Captor Sakura reference.

Chapter 29:

Love is a many splintered thing…

'Why did I do this? I love Shinji.' Asuka asked herself as she walked through the doors of the Fancy Italian restaurant.

'Because he went out with another girl, that's why!' She answered herself.

'Isn't talking to myself a sign of insanity?' She asked.

'Not if it's in your head. If I start talking to myself ALOUD then I'm insane.' She pointed out. Yuuhi led her to a table, which had just room enough for two, that overlooked the beach.

"So. Why did you change your mind?" He asked, a sincere smile on his face.

"Well, I finished unpacking early, so I was free for the rest of the night." Asuka said confidently. It wasn't a lie; she had finished unpacking days ago, and she had no plans… "Why does it matter? Either way, you get to spend the evening with me." She said, showing a sparkling smile.

"Too true… You could have any guy in the school like nothing…" Yuuhi said. "…So why'd you choose Yuu?" Yuuhi asked with a knowing look.

"W-what… I don't know what you're talking about…" Asuka said defensively.

"I could see it written all over you. When he came back to class late, and what Mina said, it bothered you." He said with a smile.

"So… Why'd you go out with me then?" Asuka asked. Yuuhi laughed.

"Because, frankly, I don't like how close he and Mina are getting." Yuuni said casually.

"What do you mean?" Asuka asked, puzzled.

"Well, Mina and I go a long way back. We grew up together, and were dating for a while." Yuuhi said sadly. "But… She broke up with me for some reason that I don't know. I want her back." He quickly switched back to his cheery self. "So I picked a girl that I knew wouldn't want anything from me. Then, I proceed to go out with her and make her jealous. I got the idea from an old TV show." Yuuhi shrugged.

"Ah… Well, the same is going on here. I'm trying to make Shi… Yuu jealous, too…" Asuka said.

"Then it's a deal. No making moves on each other, ne?" Yuuhi extended a hand, and Asuka shook it.

"Alright, Yuuhi. You got yourself a deal!" Asuka said smiling, before picking up her wine glass and taking a sip. She nearly choked when she saw Shinji and Mina come in the room.

***

"Drac… No… It's not true…" Rei kept whispering as she ran home. "Drac can't have lost his feelings for me… NO…"

'If that were so… Drac… You protected me, you've comforted me… You've made me laugh, you've made me cry, you've made me embarrassed, you've made me shy… You've made me angry, you've made me sad… You've made me happy… You've made me love you! You've made me NEED you…' Rei said, tripping to the ground, and then getting quickly to her feet.

"I need you in my life. If you can't be there for me, then… There's nothing left to live for." She said aloud as she entered her house.

"You say that word, and yet you don't know what it means." Someone said. She turned to the source of the voice to see…

Herself.

"What…?" Rei murmured below her breath.

"You did not know the true meaning of life because you have never died. A TRUE death." The other Rei said. "This is your only life. You no longer are immortal, Ayanami Rei."

"Who… Who are you…?" Rei whispered quietly he question.

"I am what has always pulled you back form death. What you no longer have." She responded. "I am what remains when the body dies. I am your soul."

"WHAT?!" Rei demanded. "What are you talking about?! My soul is inside of me!" Rei said firmly.

"No. You are merely a doll. You exist to comfort Dracan, and nothing more. What Dracorian wished, I did. I gave one of my bodies to make the boy happy. The true Dracan."

"What are you TALKING ABOUT!?" Rei cried.

"The boy you met in Yumi's apartment was the true Dracan. The one that has been asleep for years. Dracorian has been his stand-in for that time. Now that what is needed to be done HAS been done, Dracan has been awakened."

"Who is Dracorian? What's going on?!" She backed away sharply.

"You do not need to understand. All you need to know is this. You exist only to be with Dracan. You exist only to comfort him, and to make him happy. You are a doll created for this task. I can no longer stay here, in the confines of a mortal body. I must go to Dracorian, and you must stay with Dracan. Protect him as Drac has protected you over the years. Make him happy. That is your only purpose. You are nothing."

"I am… Nothing…?" She said, falling to her knees.

"You are a source of pleasure for Dracan, and nothing more. You were created only for this purpose."

"But… He doesn't love me…" She said helplessly.

"Then make him love you. Make him fall in love with Ayanami Rei all over again." Rei said, walking away slowly.

***

"This is a nice place, Yuu-kun! I should come here more often!" Mina said cheerily, brushing an azure strand of hair out of her eye.

"She's absolutely gorgeous…" Asuka whispered, upset.

Mina held her hair out of her face with a white barrette that emphasized the blue of her dress perfectly. Her dress was a sleeveless one, spaghetti straps holding it to her shoulders and doing a very poor job. The cut in her dress wet all the way up to her waist and, when she took a particularly long stride, you were shown that she wore snow-white underwear…

Her gloves, going half way between the elbow and shoulder were as white as her barrette, and the brightness matched her skin tone rather well.

"I feel jealous now…" Yuuhi said miserably. Asuka poked him in the arm and winked. Yuuhi gave her an inquisitive look, and Asuka put on her poker face.

"I'm having a GREAT time, Yuuhi. Thank you for dinner!" Asuka said loudly, drawing attention to herself. Yuuhi quickly caught on and joined in on the act.

"No need to thank me. Your smile is more than enough." He said dashingly. Asuka almost fell for it, until Yuuhi kicked her in the foot.

"I can do more than SMILE, Yuuhi…" Asuka said, sliding the chair around the table to sit next to him. She leaned close and gave him a long, drawn out stage kiss. From Shinji's perspective, however, he couldn't tell the difference.

"I think we should go…" Shinji said quietly to Mina.

"Yes. Let's." She replied, growing pale. The couple left the Restaurant in a hurry, most likely due to the display given by Asuka and Yuuhi.

"What a performance, Yuuhi! Couldn't even tell that you weren't hitting on me!" Asuka said, patting him on the back.

"Believe me. It wasn't that difficult." He said with a wink. "But I think we made them sufficiently jealous. I give 'em one more day, tops, and by Monday I'll have my Mina-chan back!"

"And I'll have my Shinj… Err… Yuu back…" Asuka said.

"Why do you keep on screwing up on his name?" Yuuhi raised an eyebrow.

"Err… Because… He's my little Shinjin {New Hero, Rookie}! And I keep accidentally calling him that!" Asuka covered herself.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight…" Yuuhi rolled his eyes at the pet name, looking out at the stars.

'By Monday, Shinji will be mine again.' Asuka said quietly.

***

"I can't face her now." Kensuke said, defeated, pacing in front of her house. "I shouldn't have done that… Now everything's all awkward! Why did I have to be so stupid?!" He said, hitting his head on a wall.

"Because you're male." Yumi said blandly. Kensuke jumped 5 feet up in the air, and began sweating bullets.

"YUMI! Funny meeting you here, of all places!*" Kensuke said nervously. 'Wait… This is her house…' "I mean HI!" Yumi put her hands on her hips and looked at him crosswise.

*Anyone who doesn't know that this comes from Ranma ½ when Dr. Tofu sees Kasumi should be taken out and shot.**

**Not really, all you serial killers out there! I was just kidding! Don't hurt these poor misguided people! They'll see Ranma ½ EVENTUALLY!

"I was wondering why you were pacing in front of my house for the past two hours." Yumi said, frustrated, then sighed heavily when she saw Kensuke slowly inching away. "We can just forget it ever happened. Come inside. I'll get you something to eat."

Kensuke knew he was trapped. He COULDN'T just forget what happened. The event was embedded in his memory. The smell of her hair, that of shampoo mixed with LCL... The feel of her lips as he kissed her gently, that of a rose falling on his mouth… The warmth of her body when she pressed herself against him, begging for his embrace…

These things clouded his judgement now as he watched her enter the house, waiting for him to come in. He shook himself before he hurriedly followed her inside, assuring himself that he was being foolish.

"Would you like anything specific?" Yumi asked, heading into the kitchen.

"Anything you make is fine…" He said indifferently, picking a random place to sit at the table. The house seemed so empty now. Despite the fact that Yumi's father had been abusive, and her sister was cruel, and her brother was generally uncaring, it had been Yumi's family. When Yumi lost her family, and Allen too, she felt that there was no one left that loved her.

When Kensuke had kissed her, it proved to her that someone DID in fact love her, and she wanted more. 'That must be why' Kensuke thought. 'That's why she kissed me back. She needed to be loved by anyone. It wouldn't have mattered whom it was. I was just there at the time.' Kensuke said to himself bitterly.

Kensuke looked at Yumi from his chair at the table for a few moments, then decided, 'But I really wouldn't have cared, would I have?' Kensuke sighed, and got up to see if Yumi needed any help in the kitchen.

***

A loud banging noise came on Drac's door in the middle of the night, stirring him from his sleep. He looked at the clock, then decided to KILL whoever was on the other side of the door. He took the nearest heavy metal object, and went to answer the door. The banging continued, and he heard Rei begging him to open the door.

The candlestick holder fell from his hands with a soft thud as it hit the ground.

Drac opened the door slowly, to find Rei sobbing on the other side. Not 2 seconds after the door opened, Rei threw herself at Drac and bawled into his chest, sobbing out unintelligible sentences.

"Rei… What's wrong…?" He asked calmly, pushing her slightly back so he could see her face.

"I… I… I want to be with you, Drac! I just want to be with you! Please don't send me away! I am nothing without you! I need to be with you! I…" She said the words in almost a panic, terrified of the possibility that he might tell her to leave.

"Shh…. It's alright. Let's talk, okay? Just calm down a bit." Drac said, guiding her to the living room. He sat her down on the couch, and he pulled a chair up close so that he was facing her. He took her hands in his and squeezed them lightly.

"Alright, Rei. Everything's okay now. Just tell me what's wrong." He said comfortingly.

"I don't want to be alone, Drac…Please… Let me stay with you tonight…" She said quietly, fighting back tears.

"What? What are you saying, Rei?" Drac asked, startled. Rei leaned forward quickly as she kissed him firmly on the lips, her tears flowing freely now. She took off her coat quickly, and began to unbutton her blouse before Drac pushed her away. "What are you DOING!?" Drac shouted at her pshing her on the couch.

"I… I want to be with you… Now and forever… I was born for you… If you don't want me… Then… Without you, I am nothing…" She said, bringing her hands her ears, not wanting to hear his response.

"Rei…" Drac whispered quietly. 'Why is she acting like this? What's wrong with her? I can't recall her ever being like this before… But… Then again… These memories that I have are so strange… So new to me… They aren't mine…' Rei grabbed his hand tightly, not willing to let go for anything.

"Please don't leave me alone, Drac…" She said longingly. Drac sighed, and picked her up, took her to his room, and put her in his bed. He pulled a blanket over her and took a seat in the rocking chair 

"I'll be right here, okay Rei?" Drac said with a small smile. "I'll be right here. I'll stay with you." Drac didn't know the feeling that he was feeling. A warmth in his chest spread throughout his body when he was near her, his judgement became cloudy, and all thoughts of pushing her away faded in an instant.

'I'm not the guy you fell in love with, Rei. Don't you see that?' He asked her silently. Almost as if it were in response to the question, she reached out and grasped his hand, holding onto it tightly as she closed her eyes in slumber. 'Rei…'

***

"Shinji, I'm not feeling well. Maybe we should call our date off." Mina said as they left the restaurant. 

"Are you sure? We can still go to the movie." Shinji offered. Mina shook her head.

"No, I can't. I feel ill." Mina said, depressed. Shinji shrugged, and escorted her home. "Shinji." she called after him before he left.

"Yeah?" Shinji leaned closer.

"Maybe you should go after Diana." Mina said quietly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"It's obvious that you aren't just brother and sister. But you two had a fight." Mina said, looking away from him. "Make up with her soon, or you'll never get him back." She said, closing the door to her house behind her.

'Him?' Shinji asked himself. "I wonder what she meant by that…" Shinji muttered as he headed home. When he got home, he took off his coat and hung it in the closet. He entered his room and laid on his bed quietly, staring up.

"Unfamiliar Ceiling…" He muttered to himself as he took out his SDAT player and listened to it. He hadn't used this since he had moved back in with Asuka and Misato… It always helped him brood when he was in a bad mood.

"Why Asuka? I just want to be with you…" He said quietly, gazing at the ceiling with deep forlornness. 

After a long while, he heard the door open and close as he knew that Asuka had arrived home. A knock came at his door, but he refused to answer it, quickly turning of his music and pretending to be sleeping. The door opened, and Asuka came in quietly, so as not to disturb him. Shinji wondered what she was doing, coming into his room without permission, but pretended to still be asleep.

Shinji freaked out when Asuka laid on the bed next to him.

"DA!" he squealed. Asuka looked him strait in the eye with a sincere look, one that was fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry, Shinji." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have done what I did." Shinji turned away from her.

"No, you shouldn't have." Shinji said firmly.

"Shinji… We can still pretend to be brother and sister at school. We don't have to pretend at home." Asuka said quietly.

"This isn't home. This is just a place where we sleep." Shinji said crossly.

"Shinji, my home, for me anyway, is any place where you are with me." Asuka said, kissing the back of his head softly. Shinji turned around, and looked into Asuka's eyes, which were now flowing with tears.

"Asuka… I…" Shinji stopped himself, and continued. "I'm not sorry for making you think that I liked Mina. You deserved it." Shinji said firmly.

"I know. It was my fault. I shouldn't have broken up with you in the first place." Asuka said quietly. Shinji didn't know where to go from there. He had expected her to yell at him. He had expected her to run out of the room, crying "BAKA SHINJI!".

But she didn't. She accepted the blame, and stayed close to him, holding his hand as tight as she could.

"Asuka… You're not mad at me?" Shinji asked.

"OF COURSE I'M MAD AT YOU! I'm FURIOUS!" Asuka screamed, rearing back for a punch. The punch connected lightly in his shoulder, a weak effort put forth by Asuka. "But I need you more than I need my anger. I need you more than I need my pride. I need you more than I need anything else. I see that now." Asuka said, looking away to conceal the tears. After a few seconds of silence, Asuka looked back into his eyes, pools of teardrops soaking into his pillow. "Without you, I am nothing."

Shinji, developing tears in HIS eyes as well, clutched Asuka close to him and kissed her passionately on the lips. After the kiss, Asuka leaned her head on his chest, and went to sleep as if she were in the safest place in the world.

***

"And the pendulum continues to swing back and forth between the two sides…" Kaoru said quietly. "Are you sure what we did to Rei was necessary?" He asked Bren.

"Rei needed to be separate from the one that calls herself Zero. She could not be with Drac and be with Dracorian at the same time." Bren replied.

"But now things are complicated. After the death. Rei will die, and only Zero will remain. There may be war in heaven in that event." Kaoru pointed out.

"And If we don't do it this way, there may BE no heavens. There may be nothing left." Bren said.

"What about Drew? What is he doing now?" Kaoru asked. "I can't see him."

"Most likely, he's spending time with his lover. I haven't been able to see SEELE as of late either." Bren said.

"Had he joined forces with SEELE, he would have told us." Kaoru said. "we're not working against SEELE. On the contrary, we're working WITH them."

"If only Shinji would awaken, then we wouldn't have to worry about this." Bren said quietly.

"We have Shinji as a backup in case Drac doesn't work. I know, it should be the other way around, but it's not." Kaoru said.

"Shinji would be the ideal, but this is not an ideal world." Bren said.

"This World of the Damned… It's as if it doesn't WANT to be saved…" Kaoru said quietly.

End of Chapter 29


	30. Chapter 30

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

Another reminder about the side stories being in another story heading on Fanfiction.net. BTW, at the end of this chapter, around page 5, I watched up to episode 42 of Flame of Recca, so now I'm all… Well… Flame of Recca-ie. I watched about 14 episodes strait, and my ass hurts! Oh, crap! I forgot what I was writing about! Damn it! Don't watch a completely different anime in the middle of a chapter!

Well, to quote my brother, Chemi-sama on this one, "Stop saying Tadaima every time you come home in that high pitched tone! It's damned annoying! And no, I will not say 'Okaeri Nasai!' In response!"

AND since this hasn't been in here for a while…

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Eva, nor any of the original Eva Characters!

{NOTE: ACC's such as Drac, Yumi, Carie, Brian, Allen, etc. They are mine!} 

Chapter 30

"Here." Yumi said quietly, placing a plate in front of Kensuke. In front of him sat a sad attempt at curry. Kensuke smiled slightly, not wishing to hurt her feelings.

"I will receive it." He said with a smile, taking a bite. 'Not half bad. Not half GOOD either, but not half BAD…' Aloud, he said, "Delicious!" Yumi took a bite and grimaced.

"Thanks for lying." She said blandly. "It tastes like piss."

"It's not that bad. Wait a second…" Kensuke raised an eyebrow. "Have you made a practice of digesting human waste products?"

"What? No!" Yumi said, amazed at such an accusation.

"Then how do you know what urine tastes like?" Kensuke queried.

"It's not meant to be taken literally! If I say something tastes like shit, that doesn't mean that I've actually tried my own feces!" Yumi said, appalled at Kensuke's lack of tact.

"So you have nothing to compare it to? So how do you know it tastes like piss?" Kensuke asked.

"I don't! I just meant that it tasted bad!" Yumi growled.

"So why didn't you just say, 'It tastes bad.' Instead of, 'It tastes like piss'?" Kensuke questioned.

"Because I didn't want to!" Yumi said, slightly irked.

"Well, I think it tastes good, and not at all like piss." Kensuke said, matter-of-factly. "By the by, did you know that if you drink your own urine enough, that it will turn clear?"

"I've lost my appetite." Yumi said quietly.

"Good. More for me." Kensuke said, grabbing the serving bowl, and dumping rice into it. He stirred several times before devouring the contents of the bowl. 'It may not taste great, but it's food, and I'm starving.'

"Very charming, Kensuke." Yumi said, referring to the large pool of curry on his chin.

"Thank you." He said, using his napkin to wipe off his chin. The room suddenly went silent as Yumi was about to say something, then looked away with embarrassment.

"Yumi, are you going to be okay?" Kensuke asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me! Nothing can keep me down!" She said cheerily.

"Yumi…" Kensuke said quietly, walking around the table to stand beside her. "Don't hide your grief. If you feel like you need to cry, then cry. I'm here for you." Kensuke said comfortingly. Yumi looked away, not wishing Kensuke to see the tears on her face.

"They're gone. My family is gone." Yumi said silently.

"Yumi… If you feel like you have no family left, then I'll be your family." He said with a smile. Yumi's eyes widened at the proposal.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Yumi asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I assume that I know. If you have a different meaning from what I said, I'd like to hear it." Kensuke said.

"I don't know, Kensuke. I just need time. My head hurts. My heart hurts. My whole body aches. I need to think for a while…" She said, massaging her temples. Kensuke nodded, stood, and sat down on a chair in the living room.

"It's okay, Yumi. I'll wait." Kensuke replied. "Minutes, hours, days, weeks… I'll wait for you right here. In the mean time, I will still be here for you. You don't need to make your decision. I'll wait." he said quietly, leaning back in the chair, closing his eyes.

***

"I kinda feel sorry for Yuuhi, though. He's all alone, and he's trying to get Mina back, but she doesn't love him anymore. Poor guy." Asuka said sadly.

"Has Mina TOLD you this? She told ME a different story." Shinji said with a shrug.

"What did Mina say about Yuuhi?" Asuka asked, interested.

"Well, Mina told me not to tell…" Shinji said nervously.

"Shinji, you WILL tell me. I won't tell a soul, honest! Now spill it." She said firmly, and Shinji nodded meekly.

"Well, Mina said the reason she broke up with Yuuhi was because he was going to study in Britain as an actor, but he had decided that he didn't want to leave her behind." Shinji said.

"You mean… She broke up with him to make him do what he couldn't do if he stayed with her." Asuka said.

"Right. I think…" Shinji said, missing the point. "I thought Yuuhi was a bit too old for Mina, but that's just me…"

"We should be able to get them back together no problem." Asuka said triumphantly.

"But are you sure we should?" Shinji asked her.

"Why not?" Asuka demanded.

"It's a good thing that Mina thought of Yuuhi over herself. Yuuhi will go to college and become a great actor. If he stays with her, he will miss out on the chance." Shinji said.

"But that doesn't mean that they can't have a long distance relationship." Asuka countered.

"If their love was strong enough, it would work that way, but if it's not, then they would have heartbreak all over again." Shinji said.

"If they aren't destined to be together, then we won't be able to make them be a couple. So we are doing it. I have a plan already!" Asuka said, letting out a chain of diabolical laughter that sent shivers up Shinji's spine.

***

"Kensuke." Allen said quietly, materializing in front of him. Kensuke jumped back several feet and assumed a fighting position.

"You… Bastard…" Kensuke said, rage ebbing from his voice. "How could you?"

"Easy. I grabbed her skull and squeezed at the temples. After that, I ripped out her spine and began to wear it as a belt." Allen said casually.

"I don't care about what you did to Ritsuko. She got what she had coming. How could you do that to Yumi?" Kensuke said quietly, gesturing upstairs, to where she was in her room.

"What are you talking about?" Allen asked, eyes flashing with some sort of demented light.

"She thinks you are dead. And I think it's the better option. Better than telling her what a monster you've become." Kensuke said, words dripping with venomous spite.

"Perhaps." Allen agreed, nodding slightly. "But I have a favor to ask of you, Kensuke."

"I'm not helping you do whatever you are going to do. I'd rather die." Kensuke said.

"You don't need to help me. Just…" Allen trailed off slightly, the demonic glow of his eyes flashing away for a brief second. "Protect Yumi. Take care of her. Make sure she is safe and happy. That's all." He said sadly, fading away swiftly.

'The last piece of Allen wishes me to be with Yumi and solace her.' Kensuke said with a small smile. 'Allen, you were my friend, but you're dead now. You've been replaced by whatever took your body… I'll find a way to bring you back, Allen.'

'But… If Allen is gone…' Kenauke thought. 'I can have Yumi…' Kensuke sat down, head in his hands. 'I have to figure out what is going on. Drac seemed to know a lot about Evas… But I promised Yumi that I'd wait here…' Kensuke brought a hand to his chin. 'I'll just call him. That'll work.' Kensuke picked up the phone and called Drac.

"Hello?" Rei answered.

"Rei?" Kensuke asked, confused. "What are you doing at Drac's so early in the morning?"

"I spent the night." Rei said.

"WHAT!?!?!" Kensuke said, shocked at Rei's boldness.

"GIVE ME THAT!" Drac shouted from the other side, taking the phone from Rei. "It's not what it sounds like! She only slept in my bed!"

"ONLY?!?" Kensuke screamed. Yumi came from upstairs, rubbing her eyes.

"Why are you making so much noise, Kensuke?" Yumi asked sleepily.

"REI SLEPT WITH DRAC LAST NIGHT!" Kensuke shouted. Yumi grew wide-eyed.

"WHAT!?!?!" Yumi howled.

"NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Drac screamed into the phone.

"Then just what is IT like?!?" Kensuke freaked. At this point, Rei took the phone back from Drac. 

{I know. Hikari's line. But fitting.} 

"Yup. We did it ALL NIGHT LONG! I never knew Drac was so wild in bed!" Rei said teasingly.

"Rei, knock it off!" Drac said, taking the phone back.

"Oh, YES, Drac! Touch me there again!" Rei moaned.

"Oh, GOD! Now he's feeling her up while I'm on the phone with him!" Kensuke told Yumi.

"That's AWFUL! Drac, I thought I KNEW you!" Yumi shouted at the phone.

"But… But… But…" Drac said pitifully.

"We'll just have to go over there and make sure those two behave, right Yumi?" Kensuke asked.

"Darn right! You better get your jollies before we get there, Drac, because you're not taking advantage of Rei's weakened state again!" Yumi cried out.

"Weakened state? What are you talking about?" Drac asked.

"Because Rei JUST got you back, you moron! God, men are so clueless!" Yumi screamed, putting on her coat. "Let's go quickly! We don't want that Hentai touching her again!" Yumi said, throwing Kensuke his coat.

***

"Are you happy now? Yumi thinks I'm a Hentai." Drac said with a sigh.

"It's good for a man to be a LITTLE perverted. That way he has imagination." Rei said devilishly. Drac blushed slightly, turning away from Rei.

"Well, I'm NOT a Hentai! No matter WHAT you may think!" Drac said in a quavering voice.

"What if I do this?" Rei asked, making a gesture that could never actually be written on paper, or expressed by any emotion except for Pure Lust Creation.

"Duuuu…" Drac said staring, fighting the urge to touch. Shaking his head firmly he turned away. "NO! I am NOT a hentai!"

"Drac, I don't want you to think that I have that image of you." Rei said. "Would I even THINK of trying this hard if I thought you were a bad person?" She asked with a smile. "I want you to be with me. I want you to hold me in your arms. I want you to touch me in places I wouldn't dream of letting others touch me… But only because it's you. Because I love you more than anything." She said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Rei…" Drac said, pulling her into an embrace.

"I KNEW IT!" Yumi screamed at the top of her lungs. "He's doing perverted things even as we speak!" She cried, pushing Drac away from Rei.

"Alright Mister Touchy-Feely! Hands off!" Kensuke said, a glare on his face. "Are you okay, Rei? He didn't hurt you, did he? Hentai's are known to beat women." Kensuke asked.

"No, I'm fine…" Rei said, backing away from Kensuke slightly.

"I can't believe you, Drac! Taking advantage of Rei like that!" Yumi said.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Drac argued.

"Tell it to the judge, happy hands!" Kensuke shouted. "I'll have a word with him in his room, Yumi! You make sure Rei's alright!" Kensuke said, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away.

"There." Kensuke said, letting out a sigh. "Now, I have some questions to ask you." He said desperately.

"I didn't do anything, so there are no juicy details to tell, Kensuke!" Drac accused.

"Oh, that? I know you didn't do anything. I just needed an excuse to get you alone." Kensuke waved it off casually.

"Alright, then, what do you want?" Drac asked.

"In the last Angel battle, you seemed to know a lot about things." Kenske said. "I need to know these things too."

"Sorry. I don't remember. I forgot most of everything…" Drac said quietly. "There's my computer, but I don't remember the pass—" Drac informed Kensuke.

"LOGGED IN!" Kensuke said, interrupting Drac form his position at the computer.

"Word?" Drac said quietly.

{"Word." Rune replies.}

***

"Hey, Mina. How are you today?" Shinji asked on the phone.

"Hi, Yuuhi! WASAAP!?" Asuka asked.

"I'm doing great, Yuu! And you?" Mina responded.

"WASAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Yuuhi said in return.

"Reasonably well. Actually, I was calling to ask you if you wanted to go out tomorrow." Shinji said casually.

"WASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Asuka countered.

"Sounds fun, Yuu-kun! Where are we going?" Mina asked enthusiastically.

"WAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Yuuhi parried.

"Actually, I was thinking that we could go on a double date." Shinji said with a smile.

"WAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Asuka replied, not wishing to be beat.

""Oh, really? With whom?" She asked.

"WAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Yuuhi said, in response to Asuka's challenge.

"Diana and Yuuhi." Shinji said lightly, as if it were of no importance.

"WAAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Asuka bellowed, beginning to lose her voice.

"Oh… That would be… Great…" Mina said as if it wouldn't.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?" Yuuhi yelled, losing his voice as well.

"Alright, I'll see you then. Bye." Shinji said, hanging up the phone.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP?!" Asuka hollered, her voice cracking in the middle.

'This is going to be a while…' Shinji thought as he left the living room and headed downstairs to his room.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!?"

***

"Are you sure you'll be alright with this hentai, Rei?" Yumi asked.

"Yes, Yumi. I WANT him to touch me." Rei said with a naughty smile at Drac, who merely turned away and blushed.

"Thanks for the disk, Drac. I'm sure that it'll be informational." Kensuke said with a wink.

"What's on it?" Yumi asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing. Just porn." Kensuke said, hiding the disk behind his back. Yumi reared back slightly, keeping her distance from the disk in question.

"See you, guys!" Rei said, pushing them out the door, slamming it, and locking it, leaving Drac and Rei all alone in the house. "Anyway, they all think you're a hentai, so why don't you get the good things that go along with it?" Rei asked, pressing her body against his.

"Err… That's okay, Rei…" Drac said quietly, inching away.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!? ARE YOU GAY OR SOMETHING?! JUST GIVE IT!" Rei screamed, pushing him down on the ground.

"REI! What is YOUR problem!? Why are you like this all of the sudden?!" Drac screamed at her, pushing her off. Rei backed away from him slowly and, not standing up, pulled her head to her knees.

"Why won't you? Do you think I'm not good enough for you? Do you think I'm not pretty? Do you hate me?" Rei asked quietly, not looking him in the eyes.

"No, Rei! It's not that!" Drac said, touching her arm gently.

"Then why? Why don't you love me? I'll do anything for you! I'll BE anything for you… I just… I need you…" Rei said, choking on her tears.

"Rei… I…" Drac said, bringing his hands to head. "I'm sorry." Rei lifted her gaze slowly, and looked him in the eyes.

"Why? Are you sorry that you don't love me?" Rei said, hurt enveloping her eyes. Drac shook his head, tears flowing from his eyes in a torrent.

"No. I'm sorry that I can't love you enough." Drac said before taking her in a warm embrace.

***

"Keep an eye out on Asuka's friend, Hikari." Greg instructed. "Asuka may try to contact her." Greg told Jake quietly.

"And the other counsel members?" Jake asked.

"Have no contact with any of them. Don't even let them know that you're still alive." Greg instructed. "Allen killed you, remember? The moment you learn of Kaji's location, tell me, and set up a meeting. And tell him… Tell him that he was right… About Brian…" Greg said, trailing off.

"Is that all, sir?" The boy asked.

"Yeah. That's all." Greg said. Before the words left his mouth, Jake had vanished into thin air.

"A necessary evil, I guess. Though Jake may be strong, he won't last a second in this battle. Maybe it would have been better if Allen HAD killed him." Greg contemplated the thought, but could not decide.

"For there to be light, there must be shadow… In order to achieve good, evil must exist…" Greg said, returning to his computer. Quickly, he set up a secured conference with his hacker friend, who had gone to great lengths to remain anonymous.

"I need help." He typed.

"That much is obvious." The reply came.

"I'm serious." Greg typed.

"So am I. You should see a shrink." Was the response, obviously humorous in nature.

"Are you ever going to tell me your name so that I may couple it with curses?" Greg typed sarcastically.

"Nope."

"Listen, I need you to do something for me." 

"How is that different from any other time?"

"Now is serious."

"I want answers."

"Very well." Greg typed after a long hesitation.

"I want to know everything."

"Alright, but on one condition."

"And that is?"

"You do not act on the information."

"Fuck you. I'm gone."

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"This is a very delicate operation, and, since I don't know who you are, I do not know your relation to this matter. If you were to disturb the operation in any way, it would crumble."

"That's not my problem. I want to know what the hell is going on with this Jihad that you speak of. I want to know why I am in the position that I am in, and why everything has gone to hell. I don't care about the money you give me anymore. I want to know the truth."

"If you disturb this operation, the Earth will BE hell."

"Fine. I won't intentionally disturb your operation."

"I need you to hack into a Government archive in SEELE headquarters. I can't access it, nor can anyone else. You have your work cut out for you."

"Leave me the window."

"I will."

"I'll get you the info."

"Thanks." Greg typed, then shutdown his computer. 'I've done all that I can. Now, all I can do is wait… Shinji, You better be the right choice. If you're not, I've just doomed the human race…'

End of Chapter 30


	31. Chapter 31

Neon Genesis Evangelion:  
  
The Darkness Emerges  
  
By Doffman  
  
This is the last, very last chapter of the story. However, now the plot is going to split two ways, and there are going to be multiple endings, like I said there would be! One main ending for each of the main characters of my story. Allen, Drac and Shinji. Enjoy the last chapter of the set plot!  
  
Chapter 31  
  
"So…" Yuuhi said, leaning against the wall of the living room, looking at Mina.  
  
"Why are we just sitting here?" Mina asked, looking away from Yuuhi. "Let's just go to the movie, okay?"  
  
"Diana is putting on her makeup…" Shinji said quietly.  
  
"Why is she taking so long, though? How many layers does she put on?" Mina asked.  
  
"MINA!" Asuka called from her room. "Could you come down here? I need your opinion on something!"  
  
"Alright!" Mina called after her, looking at Shinji questioningly. Shinji just shrugged, and gestured to the steps. When Mina arrived, she found Asuka trying on bras.  
  
"Which one do you like better? The blue one…" Asuka switched from the silken blue to a cotton red. "…Or the red one?"  
  
"Why does it matter? Who's going to see them?" Mina asked.  
  
"My boyfriend, when he takes off my dress." Asuka said devilishly. This answer shocked her, for fear that Yuuhi had chosen someone else.  
  
"T-the red one looked nice." Mina said, turning away and leaving the room. Asuka smiled broadly, getting dressed quickly.  
  
"Stage one accomplished." She said, running upstairs to meet with the others.  
  
***  
  
"What movie are we going to see?" Mina asked casually, throwing a sidelong glance in Yuuhi's direction every so often.  
  
"Actually, we were going to see that movie… What was it called again?" Asuka asked.  
  
"You are my dreams." Shinji said. Mina looked around nervously, remembering the last movie she had seen with Yuuhi.  
  
"What's wrong? Have you already seen it with someone?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Well, actually, we sorta…" Yuuhi said.  
  
"Saw it together…" Mina finished.  
  
"Alright. We'll watch something else." Asuka said with a secretive smile.  
  
"Pikachu's Retirement Home is supposedly not repulsively awful. We may even survive through the first five minutes." Shinji said.  
  
"I'd prefer Gundam XXX." Yuuhi said, offhandedly.  
  
"You would." Mina said with a scowl.  
  
"Well, come on! What would you expect from a man?" Asuka asked. "Hey, Yuu! Do YOU want to watch Gundam XXX? All men do." Shinji jumped strait up.  
  
"W-what? N-no! I'm not like that!" Shinji said, quivering voice.  
  
"Poor Mina. Her date is gay." Yuuhi said quietly.  
  
"Oh, shut up, You!" Mina shouted.  
  
"WHAT?!?" Shinji asked, hurt for being yelled at for no reason.  
  
"No! Not you, him!" Mina corrected.  
  
"Can we JUST PICK A MOVIE!?!?" Asuka screamed.  
  
"Whatever you want, Asuka." Mina shrugged.  
  
"I think we should watch Pikachu's Retirement home. We don't want the guys feeling like they can do things to us in the dark." Asuka said.  
  
***  
  
"Anyone want any popcorn?" Shinji asked before the movie started. "I'll go get some." Shinji stood and left.  
  
"I have to go to the bathroom." Asuka said, leaving the theatre. This left Mina and Yuuhi alone, and sitting next to each other. Mina looked over at Yuuhi, and Yuuhi looked at her. Their eyes met, and both of them looked quickly away. They sat for quite a while, doing nothing but staring at the blank screen.  
  
"Where are they? It's been almost 10 minutes! The coming attractions will start in 5!" Mina asked.  
  
"It seemed awfully coincidental that Asuka left for the bathroom at almost the exact same time Shinji left for popcorn.  
  
"You mean you think they…" Mina asked quietly.  
  
"Yup. They set us up." Yuuhi smiled.  
  
"So…" Mina said, uncomfortable.  
  
"Yeah…" Yuuhi said nervously.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't particularly want to watch this movie anyway." Mina said softly.  
  
"Wanna go get something to eat?" Yuuhi asked.  
  
"No, I'm fine." She stood, leaving the theatre, Yuuhi a step behind her. As soon as they made it out the door, he grabbed her arm gently.  
  
"Why do you hate me, Mina?" Yuuhi asked sadly.  
  
"What?" Mina asked aghast.  
  
"Why did you break up with me? We were so good together! Was I not treating you right? I didn't cheat on you, no matter WHAT Arimi told you!" Yuuhi said. "I wouldn't do that to you."  
  
"I know. I knew that Arimi was lying." Mina said, emotionlessly. "But it doesn't matter. That's not why I broke up with you."  
  
"Is it because I'm going to Britain?" Yuuhi asked, hurt. "If that's what you want, I won't go. I'll stay here with you! I just…"  
  
"You are so STUPID, Yuuhi!" Mina screamed, slapping him on the face and running away. Her eyes firmly pressed shut, she ran blindly down the streets, not caring where she went, just as long as she could get away from Yuuhi. In her blind charge, she tripped on a box on the side of the road, and she fell to the ground.  
  
"Are you alright, Mina?" Yuuhi asked, catching up with her and offering her a hand up. She slapped the hand away violently, looking away from him. "Tell me what I did, Mina. Did I hurt you? I'll change myself in any way you want! Mina, I…" Yuuhi looked at the ground and bit his lip.  
  
"You're just so blind, Yuuhi. You're a lost puppy, starving for affection. I got sick of you hanging around me all the time." Mina lied. "Now leave me alone."  
  
"I'll change, Mina. Into whatever you want me to be! I'll abandon my whole career for you! Don't you understand that I…" Yuuhi's gaze fell again as he failed to complete the sentence, tears rolling down his face.  
  
"Just forget about me, Yuuhi. Go off to Britain and forget about me. It's for the best." She said, crying as well.  
  
"Mina… I could go off to study acting in Britain. I could become the world famous actor like you told me I could be. But… I could never forget you. I… I love you too much." He said, turning away. Mina's eyes opened wide, staring at Yuuhi's back. Yuuhi had never said those words. He was afraid of change, and he didn't want the relationship between them to be shattered by those words.  
  
'But I guess he figured that it was now or never.' Mina said, standing up and hugging him from behind. "I love you too, Yuuhi… But… If I'm with you… You won't be in Britain. You'll be here with me. You won't become the Actor that I know you can be…"  
  
"Come with me, then." Yuuhi said suddenly. Mina jerked backward, not expecting those words. He turned around and took her hands in his. "Come with me to Britain. We can leave now! We can get eloped on the way! We can be happy together!" Yuuhi said hurriedly.  
  
"What? Marriage? This is moving so fast, Yuuhi! What…" Mina shook her head.  
  
"Please, Mina. I'd rather die than be without you…" Yuuhi said. Mina looked away, then looked into his eyes. Pure Sincerity. He couldn't be acting. He really did love her this much.  
  
"Let's meet tomorrow in front of the school. I'll have all my things packed." She said, kissing him gently on the cheek.  
  
***  
  
"So, what's happening now?" Asuka asked, leaning against the wall of Shinji's room. Shinji was lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"I think that they're back together again." Shinji said. Asuka moved so that she was on top of him, her face centimeters from his.  
  
"I was talking about us." Asuka said. "Are we back together again?" Shinji shook his head.  
  
"Asuka, we can't. Misato still says we can't." Shinji objected.  
  
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Asuka offered.  
  
"Maybe we should try to convince her first. With Kaji on our side, it'll be three against one." Shinji said quietly.  
  
"Fine. If you're going to be that way, I'll go to Arimi's. You can be here alone, thinking of how you'll convince Misato." Asuka said, standing up and leaving his room in a huff.  
  
***  
  
"Yeah, the video phone's working fine, cuz." Arimi said, casually.  
  
"You're staying out of trouble, right?" Her cousin asked.  
  
"Yeah, I've been using condoms." Arimi said, not paying attention to the conversation much.  
  
"WHAT!?" Her cousin screamed. "You better be joking!"  
  
"Alright. I confess. I wasn't using condoms." Arimi said.  
  
"I can't believe you! I'll tell Aunt Sue on you!" She screamed.  
  
"Just kidding, cuz! Jeez! Why do you always have to bring my mom in on everything?" Arimi asked, irritated.  
  
"Because your mother should know what bad stuff you do in your free time!" She said. A knock came at the door, alerting Arimi to someone's presence.  
  
"Hey, Arimi! It's Diana!" Came the voice from the other side.  
  
"Alright! Wait a second, Hikari. I gotta let my friend in." Arimi said, opening the door. "Sit down anywhere." She said, gesturing to the bed. Asuka looked at the screen of the video phone and blinked.  
  
"Asuka?" Hikari asked. "What are you doing in Osaka?" Asuka quickly terminated the connection.  
  
"HEY! I don't get to talk to my cousin every day!" Arimi said, upset.  
  
"Sorry, Arimi…. I have to go… Um… Bye…" Asuka said, running out of the room.  
  
'Oh Damn, Oh Damn, Oh Damn, Oh Damn! Hikari saw me! What do I do now?' Asuka said, hurrying home.  
  
***  
  
Hikari looked at the hung up phone with question, wondering what that was all about. Hikari was about to call back, when a knife came to her throat.  
  
"Where was that?" The boy asked, pressing the blade against her neck.  
  
'So much for NERV security…' Hikari thought. "Why? Why do you want to…" Hikari was cut off when the blade bit lightly into the flesh of her neck, sending a small trickle of blood.  
  
"Tell me now." The boy demanded.  
  
"Osaka… Southern district…" Hikari said, panicking. The knife left her neck, and she fell to the ground, paralyzed with fear.  
  
"You were wise. Now, you don't have to die." The boy said, disappearing into the shadows. Hikari curled into a ball, shivering uncontrollably.  
  
'Was he the one that killed Dr. Akagi… If I hadn't given him what he wanted, he might have…' Hikari instantly picked up he phone, and dialed a number that she had merged with her very being.  
  
"Hello?" Touji asked sleepily. Hikari, unable to control herself, burst into tears.  
  
"Touji, I'm so scared! A boy came in and… He had a knife!" Hikari cried into the phone.  
  
"Hikari? Are you okay?" Touji, neglecting the question he had just asked, said, "I'll be right over. Just be calm, okay? Everything's gonna be alright." He said before hanging up.  
  
***  
  
Kensuke traveled through the window so graciously provided by Greg and began to run through his basic routine. He scanned the hard drive of the computer in question, and found the security data showing the password, then entered it in, allowing him full access to the computer.  
  
He, from there, used a Zip Disk to back up everything in the Hard Drive, then left his hacker mark on the password pop up window.  
  
"Easy as Pie." Kensuke said, starting the conference.  
  
"Yo." He typed.  
  
"Do you have it?" Greg asked.  
  
"Maybe. Do you have what I want?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"I might." Greg replied.  
  
"On the count of three?" Kensuke asked.  
  
"Why not?" Greg typed.  
  
When the Transfer finished, Kensuke checked the validity of the info. It was all good.  
  
"Nice doing business with you." Kensuke typed.  
  
"Remember your promise." Greg said.  
  
"What does a promise mean in this world, Greg? Absolutely nothing. There is nothing that holds me to that promise. What makes you think I'll keep it?"  
  
"Because you're a good man. I could tell just by how you work."  
  
"If you say so, dude." Kensuke turned off the computer, and headed upstairs to Yumi's room.  
  
"Hey, Yumi, are you alive?" He asked, knocking on the door.  
  
"Yes." Came the quiet reply. Kensuke came in, seeing Yumi pressing her face in a pillow.  
  
"Are you gonna be okay, Yumi?" Kensuke asked putting a hand on her back.  
  
"I'm fine. So please keep your hand above my waist line." She said jokingly.  
  
"Yumi, it's okay. You don't have to fake it for me." Kensuke said.  
  
"I just want to forget everything that's happened. I want to stay in my room and die…" She muttered.  
  
"There would be a lot of people who would miss you." Kensuke said, sitting on the bed.  
  
"Why? What have I done? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My life is nothing. My family is gone now. I lived so that they'd stay together. I wanted out of this hellhole so badly…" Yumi cried. "But now that I'm out, I wish I were back in. At least they were there. So what if I had a black eye every day I went to school? So what if every day I hid in my room and cried. At least I had someone..."  
  
"Now they're gone. I'm alone…" Yumi said. Kensuke suddenly embraced her warmly, trying to console her.  
  
"No, Yumi. I'm here. No matter what, I'll be here for you." Kensuke said, barely a whisper.  
  
"Kensuke… I…" Yumi knew that she should push him away, but she didn't want to. She was toying with Kensuke now. She felt nothing for him, and yet, she let him near. She needed someone, and Kensuke was the only one that cared… Except for Drac, her childhood friend. She wanted Drac so badly now… But she needed comfort now…  
  
Yumi kissed Kensuke, then leaned back, dragging him with her onto the bed. A slight tear rolled down her face as she began to remove her shirt…  
  
***  
  
'I have to do it now… There's no time.' David Harper loaded the sniper rifle and set it on the tripod overlooking the entrance to the school. 'Shinji must die today.'  
  
Being 5 am, he was a little early, but that was necessary. He needed to be ready.  
  
'I should give Asuka some time to say goodbye to him. I owe her that much." Harper said, setting the gun to safety. Setting the silencer onto the barrel of the gun, he had nothing left to do but wait.  
  
'I'm sorry, Asuka, but we have to do this. You'll meet him again in heaven. If there's one left…' Harper said, taking out a cigarette and lighting up.  
  
***  
  
"Shinji, wake up! We're late for school!" Asuka said loudly, rolling out of the bed and running into her room to get changed. Shinji sat up slowly, knowing today was going to be a bad day before he opened his eyes.  
  
"I don't think I'm going to school today, Asuka." He said, pulling the covers over his head. "Tell Misato I'm sick." Asuka burst into his room, her shirt in her hand.  
  
"You are going to school today! We have to find out what happened with Yuuhi and Mina!" Asuka said, pulling the covers off of him. "Get moving!"  
  
"Alright! Keep your shirt on…" Shinji developed a nosebleed.  
  
"What? You've seen me in my underwear before! Get dressed!" She shouted, reaching into his dresser and pulling out some clothes, hurling them at him.  
  
"Asuka, I just…" Shinji tried to say, but was talked over.  
  
"GET DRESSED NOW!" Asuka screamed.  
  
"NOT WITH YOU IN THE ROOM!" Shinji cried with force that surprised even himself.  
  
"I'VE SEEN YOU NAKED BEFORE! IT DOESN'T MATTER GET DRESSED!" She growled, baring her fangs.  
  
"um… okay…" Shinji said meekly, trying to hide while he changed.  
  
End of Chapter 31 


	32. Chapter 32

Neon Genesis Evangelion:  
  
The Darkness Emerges  
  
By Doffman  
  
  
  
Chapter 32:  
  
Allen vs Drac 1  
  
"Yuu, Diana, I'd like to thank you for what you've done for us." Yuuhi said, gripping Mina's hand firmly. "You see, we decided…"  
  
"That we're going away together." Mina said cheerfully. "You see, Yuuhi was offered a job at the Globe, and he wouldn't take it because…"  
  
"Then I'd be leaving Mina." Yuuhi said, equal joy in his voice. "So Mina decided that she would break up with me to make me go, but…"  
  
"When you guys came along, we used you to get back together." Mina said, her cheer fading. "We feel bad for how we treated you, and how we used you, so…" Mina and Yuuhi bowed slightly.  
  
"Gomen nasai." They said at the same time. Both Asuka and Shinji stood there, wide-eyed and silent.  
  
"I realize now, Yuu, that I picked you to make Yuuhi jealous because you look so much like Yuuhi." Mina said. "Even your names are similar. When I realized that, I realized exactly how much I loved Yuuhi…" Mina said, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Shinji and Asuka stood there and blinked.  
  
"Well…" Shinji said.  
  
"What…?" Asuka asked.  
  
"I really hope we can keep in touch, guys. We'll call you when we make it to Britain." Yuuhi said, walking past them and waving his good-byes.  
  
***  
  
Harper sat and waited, looking for an opening. Shinji was standing in front of the school, and students kept getting in the way of his shot, so he had to wait a while.  
  
"Remember this, Harper." Kaji said, holding out the rifle. "This is very important. If you are given four bullets, you are expected to take out four targets. When you are a sniper, you can't miss."  
  
"Why do I have to learn this?" Harper complained.  
  
"You most likely won't be on a sniper mission, since you've got a desk job, but just in case we need you, you need to be trained." Kaji said, shoving the rifle into his grasp.  
  
"Gotta concentrate…" Harper slapped himself in the face. He gripped onto the rifle again, only to find that he couldn't hold the rifle steady. He took out the pack of tranquilizers given him, and injected it to calm himself down, then returned to the rifle. Finally, an opening appeared, and he was ready.  
  
"Good bye, Shinji." Harper said, aiming the sniper rifle for the base of his neck. Just as he pulled the trigger, however, Yuuhi stepped in the line of fire. "Damn!" Harper shouted as the bullet sailed from the gun with not a sound but a sharp whistle of air.  
  
***  
  
The bullet whistled through the air, unbeknown to anyone. The bullet connected with the skull of the boy, hitting him in the temple. The sheer velocity of the bullet, along with the weakness of that portion of the skull, allowed the bullet to sail strait through, allowing it to hit its predestined target as well. The bullet entered the base of the other boy's neck, shattering the vertebrae there. Connecting with the solid bone and cartilage of the boy's neck, it stopped dead, in more ways than one.  
  
***  
  
Yuuhi jerked to the right as a large stream of blood burst out of his head. Almost instantaneously, Shinji also collapsed to the ground, lacking the bloody show that came prior. Asuka's eyes grew wide as a violent torrent of brain matter and blood smashed across her face. Not even noticing Yuuhi's fall, she dropped to he knees and lifted Shinji's head.  
  
When she touched the back of his neck, she felt the bullet protruding from his flesh.  
  
"no…" Asuka whispered, a tear falling from her eye.  
  
When she looked into his eyes, she saw the look of surprise permanently etched upon his face.  
  
"No." Asuka said with a choked voice, another making it's way down her face.  
  
When she touched his cheek, she could feel the heat fading from his body.  
  
"NO!" Asuka said firmly, tears cascading down her face at an alarming rate.  
  
She clung his corpse to her chest, as if calling out to the heavens, accusing it of unspeakable crimes.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" She screamed, torment ebbing throughout her very being.  
  
***  
  
"It's done." Harper said, backing away. As he was about to put away the rifle, a small pistol poked into his back.  
  
"Damn you, Harper." Greg said coldly, throwing him to the ground.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, Greg!?" Harper shouted.  
  
"I thought you liked the girl, Harper. I thought she was like a daughter to you." Greg said, spite hanging of every word. "So why did you kill her boyfriend?"  
  
"This needed to be done, Greg! Shinji couldn't have won!" Harper said, crawling away from Greg slowly.  
  
"So you killed him. Death for anyone who doesn't fit the plan, right?" Greg asked with a smile.  
  
"Don't do it, Greg. We need seven! Remember! Without the seven, it all ends." Harper warned, panicked.  
  
"The World of the Damned will be Damned, eh?" Greg spat. "Well, I don't give a Damn." He said before pulling the trigger.  
  
***  
  
"Drac, you're too good of a person, you know that?" Rei said, irritated. Drac grew angry again, almost ripping the cross off his neck in attempt to get it off.  
  
"SEE THIS?!?!" Drac said, waiving the piece of silver in her face. "SEE IT!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF, 'THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY!?'" Drac screamed before putting his cross back around his neck and flopping back into his armchair.  
  
"But we're not adults yet." Rei complained.  
  
"That's not what it means, and you know it!" Drac said.  
  
"So? It's a rule, and rules were made to be broken!" Rei said.  
  
"What is your obsession with this, anyway!?" Drac screamed. "Why do you have to be such a loose whore all of the sudden?!"  
  
"LOOSE WHORE!?" Rei screamed. "Watch your mouth, or you won't be having sex with ANYONE, because I'll rip it off!"  
  
"Fuck you!" Drac screamed.  
  
"GLADLY!" Rei screamed back, jumping on top of him. Drac brought his arm back, and slapped her across the face, sending her to the ground.  
  
"You just don't get it, do you!?" Drac screamed at her. Rei brought a hand to her cheek and turned away from him. "Just stay away from me! I don't love you anymore! Just leave me alone!" Drac shouted out the words that bit into her soul.  
  
Her eyes grew wide as she stood and ran from the apartment, not a tear falling from her eye.  
  
"Where are you going?" Rei asked the doll as it ran.  
  
"I have failed. I can't make him love me. I don't know how he fell in love with Rei in the first place." The Doll whispered.  
  
"Failure will not be tolerated. You will make him happy, or you will die."  
  
"I… I can't…" The doll whispered quietly, fear dripping from her voice.  
  
"Then you will die." Rei said, launching a beam of energy at her body, incinerating her.  
  
"I take it she failed?" Omni asked, floating down to sit next to her.  
  
"She failed, Dracorian. We will have to create a new one." Rei said.  
  
"A soulless doll will do no good." Omni said, bringing his hand to his chin. "Dracan must have a reason to want this world to exist."  
  
"But… If you plan on winning, then why must you worry about Dracan?" Rei asked.  
  
"We want SOME of existence to remain if Allen wins." Omni said. "This is a safety precaution."  
  
"If this is what you want, then I will do it for you." She said, clasping Omni's hand. Dracorian squeezed it back, and brushed the side of her cheek softly.  
  
"I didn't want to do this, but we will have to summon her…" He said, looking off into the distance.  
  
"You said you loved me." Rei said, gripping his hand tighter.  
  
"I do. More than anything." Dracorian said.  
  
"Then why do you look up to the sky with longing when you think of her?" Rei asked.  
  
"Because I…" Omni grew silent, not knowing how to answer.  
  
"You… Still love her, don't you?" Rei turned away. He dropped his head slightly, and nodded.  
  
"I guess I still do." He said, knowing it futile to deny it. "But I love you more." He said quietly.  
  
"You lie." Rei said firmly. "You would run to her like a lost puppy if she so much as looked in your direction. You can't hide things from me, Drac. You say that you love me, but I know the truth. I'm just a replacement for her."  
  
"No, Rei. That's not true." Dracorian said, rejecting her thesis.  
  
{Get it? Cruel Angel's Thesis? Not funny, is it?}  
  
"Summon Yui, Drac. I don't care. I have things to do other than worry about such unimportant things as love." She said emotionlessly, flying away from him quickly.  
  
"Rei…" Omni said quietly, looking after her as she became a speck in the sky...  
  
***  
  
"Miss… We really must take the body away now." The man said nervously. Asuka glared at the man with a look of hate and insanity.  
  
"Don't worry Shinji-kun… I won't let them touch you… We'll be together forever… No one's going to take you away from me…" Asuka said, her voice seething with madness. The man approached closer in attempt to take Asuka away.  
  
"You need to calm down, miss… I can buy you a coffee or something…" He began, trying to take her away her. She removed a gun from under her shirt, and pointed it at him.  
  
"No one takes Shinji-kun from me… No one… We will always be together… Yes… Always…" Asuka said, eyes wide, her pupils dilated, and a small foam developing at the corner of her maniacal smile. She was visibly shaking, but she seemed very capable to shoot anyone who came near. The man backed away slowly, nodding his head.  
  
"Alright, miss. Alright. I'll leave you two alone to talk…" He said, getting in his car and waiting for a chance to do his job, which was to get the body off the school premises..  
  
"Shinji-kun… Don't worry about anything… I'll protect you like you protected me… Yes… We will be together forever… Because you promised you wouldn't leave me…" Asuka said, lifting his head to look into the blank eyes. "I don't need anything but you, Shinji-kun. We'll stay together. Yes. I will take you away from here, where people hurt us. Yes. We will be together forever…"  
  
Asuka picked Shinji up, and carried him on her back, keeping one hand on the gun. "No one will take you away from me… We will go away from this place… And be together forever… Yes… Because you promised…" Asuka chuckled slightly before moving onward. "The people who hurt you will go away now… You won't need the spines… I'm the only one who needs to be close enough to the spines… Yes… Settled into the spines…"  
  
Asuka walked down the street with him on her back, rifle ready to shoot anyone daring to touch her beloved Shinji-kun. "You don't need the sharp spines with me Shinji-kun… Because we're meant to be… Yes… We were meant to be together forever… And I will protect you from everyone who won't let us be together… I'm a hedgehog too, Shinji-kun… We both are… Yes… But we don't need spines…"  
  
Asuka made it to their new house, bringing Shinji to her room. "I'll protect you from the people that make you be weak… Yes… Like you protected me… We can be together forever… We were meant to be… Yes… We will always be together, because you promised me…" Asuka said, running a hand through Shinji's hair. "Always…"  
  
***  
  
"Are you sure it's okay, Touji…?" Hikari said, blushing as she climbed into her bed.  
  
"Yeah. I think my grandpa took it the wrong way, though…" Touji said nervously as he unrolled a bedroll onto the floor of her room.  
  
"He did?" Hikari said, turning redder. "Oh dear! What must he think of me now?" Hikari said, hiding her head under a pillow.  
  
"I'm sure he was just joking around!" Touji said, shaking his head. "Dad knows that you wouldn't do anything like that…" Touji turned his head away to hide a blush.  
  
"Like invite a boy over so that he can sleep in my room?" Hikari asked with a laugh, making Touji blush even more. "I'm sorry, Touji… If my sisters were here, I wouldn't have had to bother you…"  
  
"It's okay, Hikari. Anytime you need anything, you can ask me." Touji said with a smile. Hikari smiled back, and kissed him on the cheek gently.  
  
"Thank you, Touji." She said before sliding under the covers and closing her eyes. Before she slid off into sleep, she felt a warmth around her hand as Touji gently took her hand in his.  
  
***  
  
"Drac." Yumi said, knocking on the door to his apartment. "Open up. Please." Drac opened the door, a look of surprise on his face.  
  
"Yumi! What are you doing here so late?" Drac asked, gesturing her inside.  
  
"I… I need to talk to you." Yumi said quietly. Drac shrugged.  
  
"What about?" Drac asked.  
  
"Drac, we've always been friends, right?" Yumi asked.  
  
"Yeah. We've been friends for a long time." Drac said.  
  
"Don't you ever wish that we had more?" She said, taking a step closer to him.  
  
"Yumi… What are you saying?" Drac said, backing away from her.  
  
"Drac… I want to be with you now… Just be with me…" Yumi said, pushing him up against a wall.  
  
"Yumi, I don't think…" Drac began, but was cut off when Yumi pressed her lips to his. Her hands began to stray to his belt when Drac snapped out of his daze and pushed her gently away. "Yumi. You don't want this." Drac said sadly.  
  
"Yes… Yes I do…" Yumi said, tears in her eyes. "You'll let Rei, but you won't let me… Why? I've been with you for much longer than her…"  
  
"Yumi... Please. Don't do this to yourself… I know what happened with Allen. You can't destroy yourself like this!" Drac told her. Yumi backed away, putting her hands to her ears.  
  
"You don't understand… You have no idea what it's like to loose everything!" Yumi screamed, and then stopped when she realized what she had said. "I'm sorry, Drac. I didn't mean it."  
  
"Get out." Drac said, his voice choking. "Leave me alone." Drac turned away, went into his room and slammed the door.  
  
***  
  
Why must death take those away that which we love? Why must we always be alone no matter what the circumstances? Why, when I close my eyes at night, do I feel that everything will be gone when I open them? No matter what the circumstance, we will always be alone. Even when you are surrounded by loved ones, even when being held in your lover's arms, you will always be alone.  
  
Loneliness is a state that never leaves; a state that we strive with all of our life's energy to expel from our emotions. Never will the feeling be quelled. Never will the cards that you wish to be dealt be in your hand. No matter what the roll of the dice, it will always end up snake eyes.  
  
Never will man be truly happy, for he is always lonely. Fear of loneliness dominates your mind and soul until you can think of nothing else but to keep the feeling away. Though you are not alone, by definition, the feeling is as natural as the intake of breath, or the beating of the heart.  
  
Death perforates happiness until all that is left is death. Why must one sit back and watch as their loved ones die? Why must pain and suffering go hand in hand with humanity? Is there no Utopia? Is there no Eden? Man destroyed Eden so that they could be God.  
  
One needs a prison before they can truly wish to be free. God's creation disliked the restraints pressed upon them by their master, and they wished to be like him. God wished them only happiness, and gave them paradise.  
  
But they, longing for freedom, dragged themselves into a place lesser than they were before. Man is similar to Lucifer in that respect, isn't it? Better to rule in Hell, than to serve in Heaven…?  
  
Who is the true evil in all this? What is the truth behind the tale? What makes a person follow one path instead of another? What makes a bullet stray those few centimeters out of place...?  
  
What, or more precisely, who, controls man's destiny? Does man have a destiny? Does destiny, as the word is defined exist, or is the path we walk our own choice?  
  
All of these questions, I know not the answer to. All of these questions, I strive to learn.  
  
Whose fault is it that my life is Hell? Whose responsibility is it that I have become this monster that I am? Who made me into this? Why did it have to be me that was born into darkness?  
  
I guess if it weren't me, it would be someone else, but why must I follow this path? Why was I forced to do this?  
  
For once, my life was becoming happy again. Why did it have to end this way? If I don't end it, someone else will, and it will be without me. They will erase me from the slate, and draw anew.  
  
Drac, my dear brother, why do you wish this? Why? What could make you hate me so?  
  
Why would you side with Shinji like this? Why, if he weren't dead, would you have let him kill me? Why do YOU wish to kill me!? WHY, DAMN IT!?  
  
WHY IS MY LIFE HELL!?! GOD HELP ME!  
  
…no…  
  
There will be no help from God…  
  
God abandoned this particular creation of his a long time ago.  
  
If God will not help me, I will become God. I will wipe the slate clean, dear brother. Not you. But it needs a bit more than what you planned.  
  
I will destroy everything. I will destroy all that is corrupt in this existence. I will create a universe in my own image; one that is NOT corrupt.  
  
One that will be a perfect Utopia.  
  
One where everyone will be happy, and not just a select few.  
  
God has damned me, therefore I will damn him.  
  
I will become God, and thereby control everything.  
  
Everything will become nothing, and that will become everything…  
  
Watch out, onii-san. I'm coming for you. And Omni will not be able to protect you.  
  
End of Chapter 32 


	33. Chapter 33

Neon Genesis Evangelion:  
  
The Darkness Emerges  
  
By Doffman  
  
"The chapter length is all wrong, Doff!" You shout. I don't care. I am very depressed right now, and I'm dishing out crap work just to get it done. Yet again, most of the stuff in this story I DO NOT BELIEVE! Don't send E-Mails to me about reformation. {Glares at the radical religious right}  
  
  
  
Chapter 33  
  
Allen vs. Drac 2  
  
"Shinji-kun... We are together... We will always be together.. Like you promised... Nothing can keep us apart..." Asuka said, holding Shinji-kun in her arms. "All I need is you, Shinji-kun. All I need. We will never be apart, you and I. So I can keep on living. If you were to die, I would go with you."  
  
"...my god..." Came a woman's voice from an unknown destination. Asuka didn't care who it was, only that she was with Shinji-kun.  
  
"I don't need anyone else. Go away... Leave me and Shinji-kun alone. We are happy together..." Asuka said quietly, urging this person to leave. Another voice became audible, that of a male.  
  
"What the hell happened...?" He asked, astonished. Asuka looked at the two, recognizing them, but not caring.  
  
"Leave me and Shinji-kun. We're happy alone. We need no one else. To many people..."Asuka said louder, insanity appearing in her voice.  
  
"Asuka... Shinji is dead, can't you see? You're holding a corpse!" The man shouted, the woman had fallen to her knees, crying into her hands uncontrollably.  
  
"NO! Shinji-kun wouldn't leave me! He promised me! We will ALWAYS be together!" Asuka screamed at him, covering her ears. The man grabbed her firmly by the arm, trying to pull her away from her Shinji-kun. "No... No... He promised! He promised!" Asuka cried, not willing to let go of the tiny thread that kept her to Shinji-kun.  
  
When she was finally pulled away from him, she just stood there for several minutes, letting other people push her wherever they wished. Shinji was gone now.  
  
"They have taken him away.' Asuka said, her heart beat drowning out all other sound.  
  
'Shinji is all alone up in heaven.' Asuka said, the beat growing louder.  
  
'I'm coming, Shinji.' Asuka said, walking from the living room to the kitchen, the heartbeat growing louder.  
  
"Asuka? What's wrong?" A woman's voice asked. Asuka didn't hear it. She merely reached into the cabinet, and with drew a knife. Suddenly, she found herself on the ground, wrestling for control of the weapon as the heartbeat echoed in her skull.  
  
"You're trying to step between me and Shinji-kun, aren't you!?" Asuka screamed, kicking the woman in the gut. "I won't let you!" Asuka howled as she stabbed the knife into the woman's flesh twice. The woman curled into a ball on the floor, clutching her stomach in agony. "I'm coming, Shinji- kun." Asuka said, the beating of her heart reaching the climax of its volume.  
  
With one swift motion, Asuka slit her wrist. At that second, the incessant heart beat stopped.  
  
"I'm coming, Shinji-kun..." Asuka whispered as she fell to the ground, a look of supreme peace easing onto her face.  
  
***  
  
Drac sat on the floor, clutching his knees to his body. The padded room that he had spent much of his life in, the place where he had first met Rei... The place where he was made an eva pilot. He sat in that padded room once more, not daring to leave. Not daring to reenter Hell.  
  
Drac was sitting there, singing, "I am slowly going crazy" over and over again, thinking it a fitting song for the situation, when Rei entered the room, and walked up to him.  
  
"What are you doing here, Drac?" Rei asked, concerned.  
  
"I was right." Drac murmured, looking away from her. "The monster... The evil hell... You were an extension of it all along..." Drac said, weeping softly. His hypothesis from the very beginning had been true. Rei...  
  
"Why are you staring at the security camera?" Rei asked.  
  
"It's obvious, isn't it Rei? It watches me like a hawk! I move one way..." Drac slid to the left. "The thing follows me. If I move the other way..." Drac slid to the right. "It still follows me! Upon heavy analysis, I've concluded thusly. That is the eye." Drac said, pointing to the camera.  
  
"The eye of what?" Rei asked.  
  
"The evil monster, of course! That over there..." Drac pointed to the door. "That is the mouth. Dr. Akagi is some extension of the monster, trying to lure me into its mouth. There is, however, one factor not calculated yet." Drac said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  
  
"What is that, Drac?" Rei said, slightly smiling.  
  
"You." Drac said, pointing at her. "I can't make heads or tails of you. Are you another fiend like Dr. Akagi, or something else? Maybe you are one who suffers through being digested by the monster. Who escapes on occasion. None of it fits. So my question to you, Miss Rei, is this. What are you in relation to me?" He asked the question as though it was the most important thing in the world. Rei looked baffled.  
  
"Me?" Rei said, suddenly developing a warm smile. Her voice held emotion. She was amused by the question that she had been asked. She walked up to him and took his hand. "I'm your friend, Drac."  
  
"My friend. Ha. I can't believe that I believed such drivel." Drac spat. "You dragged me out there so that I would experience Hell. I trusted you Rei. I trusted you with my life. My life, and my heart. But you took that and threw it all away. My own brother... My... Own... Brother..." Drac whispered, curling up into a ball.  
  
"Drac?" Rei asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Allen. He's my brother... He killed Ritsuko. Allen is still alive, but my brother is dead..." Drac wept. "I had forgotten it all. I had pushed it out of my memory. Or maybe someone pushed it away for me so that I wouldn't leave that World of the Damned..." Drac said. Rei felt this scene reminiscent of an event that had happened prior; the day they had met...  
  
"Who's there...?" Came a voice from a room with the door partially open. Rei was about to pass by the room without saying anything, but a feeling of curiosity passed over her. This was a feeling that she had never felt before, and therefore failed to prevail against it.  
  
"My name is Ayanami Rei." She said entering the dark room. It was a padded room with nothing in it but a security camera, a light socket, which was now off, and a small, terrified boy in the center. He looked at Rei with a half frightened, half curious gaze, not taking his eyes off her.  
  
"I'm, I'm Drac..." He said with a stutter. It was obvious that he had been crying, for his face was wet with tears.  
  
"Why were you crying?" Rei asked.  
  
"The... The monster... Wants to eat me..." He said, holding back tears. Rei came closer and knelt down by him.  
  
"What monster?" Rei asked, slight curiosity appearing in her voice. With that, the boy threw his arms around Rei's waist and began to cry into her chest. This startled Rei, and her first response would have been to jump back, but for some reason she didn't.  
  
The boy began to spurt out gibberish and incoherent nonsense. Rei's second response, though she had never done it before, was to try to console him in some way. Rei had no idea how. Suddenly, Rei remembered how, but she had never had anything to remember. It was as though it was from another life...  
  
Rei wrapped her arms around the boy and clasped his head so her breast, whispering reassurances in a quiet voice. That's when she felt it. The feeling of being similar to him, but not quite. She didn't know what it meant, but she felt a bond between them somehow...  
  
Rei thought back on this memory with fondness, remembering the love she felt for Drac...  
  
Rei took Drac in her arms and rested his head on her breast, reassuring him with a voice of compassion and love. When she had done this before, there had been a feeling of similarity, but now, it wasn't there now. What replaced it was a feeling of oneness... A feeling of completion.  
  
"Drac, I will always be here for you. You will always be in my heart, no matter what happens." Rei whispered softly, kissing him gently on the forehead.  
  
***  
  
"So, you let Rei return to her body?" Yui asked, leaning against a wall  
  
"Yes. That was the best solution for this. The easiest." Drac said.  
  
"You could have sent me in her place." Yui said.  
  
"But it wouldn't have been as effective. Rei was destined for Dracan. Not me." He said looking off into the distance with forlorn eyes.  
  
"You are a good man, Omni." Yui said, floating away from him gently. "It's a shame that you must follow the path that is set for you."  
  
"Good. Evil. Who decides the definition of those words?" Omni asked quietly. "God, right? If Allen succeeds, he will be God. If that happens, Allen will be good, and we will be evil. Good and evil is just the point of view that those in power see. Am I evil? Is Allen? Was Shinji...?"  
  
***  
  
"The woman you brought in is dying, sir. We can't do anything about it. She has been punctured in too many vital areas." The doctor told Kaji as the steady beeping in the background demanded attention. Kaji looked away slightly before gazing back to the doctor.  
  
"How much more time does she have?" Kaji asked, concealing his grief.  
  
"A few hours. There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." The doctor said. Kaji pushed past the doctor and went into Misato's room. "I'll give you some time alone." He said before closing the door.  
  
"Hello, Misato. Feeling well?" Kaji asked in his normal, cheery voice. He sat in a chair by the bed and clutched her hand in his.  
  
"Kaji, don't play with me. I know I'm going to die." Misato said quietly. Kaji dropped his gaze, looking way from Misato. "Don't blame her, Kaji. It's not her fault."  
  
"She KILLED you, Misato! What reason did she have!?" Kaji shouted.  
  
"She lost Shinji. She was trying to kill herself. I tried to stop her from joining him." Misato said. "It's not her fault. She's lost everything important to her now. Don't hate her."  
  
"Misato..." Kaji looked deep for the words to describe his feelings, but could not find them.  
  
"Kaji... I want you to give something to Asuka. It was a doll I made for her. I made a matching set, one for her of Shinji, and one for Shinji of Asuka, but I guess you can give them both to Asuka..." Misato squeezed Kaji's hand tightly as a burst of pain contorted her features. "Please... Don't hate Asuka... She may not really be... But... She and Shinji are like my children... No... They ARE my children. Asuka is my daughter. Please, Kaji... Take care of her... Make her safe." Kaji nodded silently, stroking her hand gently.  
  
Misato smiled slightly, raising a hand to touch Kaji's face tenderly before her face went blank, and her hand fell. The steady beeping converted to one long drone.  
  
***  
  
"Asuka, you have a visitor." A woman said, but Asuka ignored her, remaining curled in a ball on the floor. Without Shinji, she didn't care. Nothing was important anymore. Kaji entered the room slowly, a present in his hand. Asuka looked at him for several seconds before looking back at the ground, not caring.  
  
Asuka used to think that she loved Kaji. She was crazy about him. But when she fell in love with Shinji, he changed her whole perspective on life. He made her whole. Without him, she had only half of herself. It wasn't worth living...  
  
But they wouldn't let her kill herself. She wanted to join Shinji so badly, but they wouldn't let her... Kaji smiled his typical Kaji smile, but something was different. His eyes were different. They showed pity. She neither needed nor wanted pity. She needed only Shinji...  
  
"Don't pity me, Kaji." Asuka said hazily. "I'm already dead without Shinji." Kaji let his gaze fall from hers. He DID pity her; pitied what she had become. Asuka finally realized that it was her own fault. She had needed someone, and she had paid the price.  
  
She was Asuka Langley Sohryu. She had once needed no one, and nothing. Shinji changed all that. Asuka needed him, and he was taken away from her. She thought that she had learned not to love anyone; not to need anyone. Asuka made the mistake again...  
  
"I was right, Kaji. I needed Shinji, and look what I became because of it. I was Asuka Langley Sohryu. I was the greatest Eva pilot ever. I was a genius. Now, I'm a crying ball on the floor." Asuka said to him, letting the tears flow as she spoke in a steady voice. "And I realize that, even if I had the choice, not to ever have loved Shinji, and never to have experienced this pain... I would choose to be with Shinji. I'd chose an hour with him over a lifetime without him." Kaji nodded several times, as if finally understanding Asuka.  
  
"Here, Asuka." Kaji said, sadness overwhelming his voice. "Here's Shinji. He didn't leave you, see?" Kaji opened up the package and held forth two dolls. One of her... And Shinji...  
  
"Shinji-kun..." Asuka whispered, standing slowly. Kaji put the dolls down on the ground and left the room, trying to conceal the tears in his eyes. Asuka didn't care. Shinji was there with her... She took the doll in her arms and held it to her breast. "We are together, like you promised. Yes. We will always be together, Shinji..."  
  
***  
  
Kensuke sat in his chair, looking at his laptop with disbelief. The information on the disk was so unbelievable, that it had to be true...  
  
'Allen'. Bradley Thomas, after seeing his son die, took cells from the body and integrated them with half of Adam. The dead boy had been Drac's brother. 'Allen' was what the project had been called, and 'Allen' was the name given to him.  
  
Most of the information sounded like a whole New Testament of the Bible... But it said that Adam had made a pact with Satan to destroy all of God's creation. Half of Adam was implanted in Ikari Gendo's arm to keep Adam away from being at his full strength. Lilith held the key to reviving Adam. Adam was revived, and was now looking for his other half so that he could destroy the universe...  
  
Supposedly, Dracan was some Warrior of Light, genetically altered to have a genetic code similar to that of Christ's, making it possible to defeat Allen, as Christ was supposed to defeat Satan in the final battle. But apparently, Drac split into two, and now someone named Omni was running the show. He fought against Adam before and lost.  
  
He would fight the final battle, or the world would end...  
  
And there was nothing Kensuke could but sit back and watch the horror.  
  
***  
  
Kaji returned to check up on Asuka two days later. Kaji was saddened greatly by what had transpired. The doctor had reported that Asuka had been treating the doll she was given just as if it were Shinji. She had torn up the doll of herself because she had said that the doll, "...Wants Shinji for herself! She can't have my Shinji-kun! He's mine!"  
  
Kaji recognized this very much from the reports he had been given about Asuka's mother. Asuka was ending up like her mother. Kaji opened the door to Asuka's room and noticed that the Shinji doll had it's neck slit. Kaji turned away slowly, closing the door to the room, and walking slowly away from the girl hanging in the closet.  
  
***  
  
"Brother! It is great to see you again!" Adam said, his voice echoing in the darkness, remaining unseen. Dracan jerked up immediately, gripping tightly to Rei's hand as he looked around the abandoned room.  
  
"What you are looking for isn't here, Adam. Omni left me. Now let me spend the last of my days on this planet in peace." Drac said bitterly, knowing that, either way, The world would be destroyed, either by Omni, or Adam, it mattered not.  
  
"Oh, of course, my brother. I will leave you alone..." Adam spoke, but was cut off by Drac, who stood quickly and screamed with hate.  
  
"YOU are NOT my BROTHER!!" Drac shouted at the voice. "My brother is DEAD! He has BEEN dead! He died when Adam KILLED him! When YOU killed him!"  
  
"You are mistaken. Allen's first death was organized by SEELE..." Adam said quietly.  
  
"Bullshit. At least he still had his soul. You twisted it to fit your needs. And then you sold it to Satan." Drac said. Rei touched Drac gently on the shoulder, but he was beyond feeling.  
  
"Is that what you think, Drac? You are wrong. I am merely purging the universe of Evil. The whole universe, created by God, is evil. I must destroy all life; purify all existence so that Good can exist once more." Allen said, quietly, sadly; Drac could almost feel the tears flow from his brother, not Adam...  
  
"And in order to do that, there must be sacrifices..." Adam said, appearing behind Drac, striking him in the knee. He fell over and hit the floor hard when it was accompanied by a foot planted on his back. "I need... Her..." Adam said, looking casually at Rei, the standard Allen smile on his face... Only different. It lacked that carefree happiness that Allen possessed... What replaced I was...  
  
Evil...  
  
Rei backed slowly away, inching he way for the exit, a look of pure and utter horror etched on her face, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"S-Stay away..." She said with pleading terror. Allen tsked at her, staring at her with the most maniacal grin she had seen in her life.  
  
"Tears don't become you, Ms. Ayanami. You should smile more. You look MUCH more beautiful when you aren't crying..." Adam said, as he grabbed her firmly by the wrist.  
  
***  
  
"OMNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Drac shouted to the heavens, standing on the roof on which he had been dropped when he had been awakened. "LEAVE US OUT OF YOUR UNGODLY GAME!"  
  
"Correction, Dracan. This game is GODLY. We are fighting FOR God." Dracorian said, materializing out of thin air. Drac grabbed him firmly by the collar of his robe, pulling them face to face even though Omni was well over 2 feet taller than him.  
  
"Fuck the game. Fuck God. I want her back." Drac said coldly, looking Omni in the face wih a dark stare that would crumble mountains.  
  
"He wants me to come. I'm not ready yet. He wants to battle when he has the advantage. On his ground. I can't do that. Even if it means sacrificing Rei." Omni said through eyes pressed shut and gried teeth.  
  
"Then I'll go myself. I'll free her. I love her too much to let him kill her. You take me to him, and I'll save her." Drac said.  
  
"Impossible. You don't have your strength anymore, Drac. You don't even have the capabilities to pilot an Eva anymore. What makes you think you can take on Adam?"  
  
"I won't be fighting Adam. I'll be fighting Allen."  
  
"Allen has been long dead, Drac. You'll be wasting your time."  
  
"He's still alive, Omni. I see him still alive. If I can reason with him..."  
  
"There is NO reasoning with a sociopath. This bastard is Hitler times 5 billion. Do you really think you can talk him out of it?"  
  
"Allen is doing this because he DOES care, Omni. Not because he doesn't."  
  
"It doesn't matter why. It matters that he is."  
  
"You have no heart, do you?"  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Because I know that you felt something for Rei. And you are letting her die."  
  
"You know nothing, Dracan."  
  
"I know that you are a worse monster than Adam, who can throw the ones they care about aside."  
  
Dracorian looked away, trying to dispel the feeling inside him, but to no avail. He loved Rei, and he would save her. He had to, now.  
  
"Alright, Drac." Omni said, offering a hand. "Let's go. Let's save Rei."  
  
End of Chapter 33 


	34. Chapter 34

Neon Genesis Evangelion:  
The Darkness Emerges  
By Doffman  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 34  
Allen's Ending  
or  
An Unnecessary Evil  
  
Jake lifted the rifle and placed it on the tripod, aiming it with precision, he scope giving him a great view of the open window. It wasn't his to question why, but he was to shoot Dracan Omoni, one of their own operatives. Jake could care less. He was meant to aim and fire, not debate right and wrong.  
One shot echoed from the apartment, drawing Jake to awareness, his sweat coating his forehead. Jake could hear someone emptying a whole clip at something, hearing a boy's scream echo throughout the city.  
"DIE!!" Jake recognized the voice to be Drac's. Drac appeared in the window, and before Jake could fire, Allen got in the way. There was a blur of motion before the way was clear again, a small, centimeter gap over Allen's shoulder to Drac's head. Jake took the shot. The bullet struck clean. Allen spun around quickly, noticing the sniper he had not before.  
That's when Jake realized it.   
Allen had wings.  
Allen swooped out of the window before Jake could pull off a shot at him, and was now standing in front of the rifle.  
"Shoot." Allen ordered emotionlessly. "Shoot me."  
Jake shook his head. He wasn't stupid. Drac walked in there with a gun, shot, and it did him not an ounce of good. Why fight Shinigami when he comes for you?  
"It would be pointless to do so." Jake replied with an equal lack of emotion. "If you're going to kill me, be quick about it. Otherwise, don't. You are the one in the position of choice here, not I."  
"Correction, my friend." Allen said with a smirk. "You were in the position of choice. And you made the right one. I will spare your life for now..." Then, as an afterthought, "Actually, I have a job for you, if you are willing. If not, you could always choose death."  
"Better the right hand of the devil than to be in his path..." Jake quoted a well used phrase. Allen obviously found something extremely funny, as he burst into uncontrollable, insane laughter at that moment...  
  
***  
  
"It's done." Harper said, backing away from his rifle. As he was about to put away the rifle, a small pistol poked into his back.  
"Damn you, Harper." Greg said coldly, throwing him to the ground.  
"What the hell are you doing, Greg!?" Harper shouted.  
"I thought you liked the girl, Harper. I thought she was like a daughter to you." Greg said, spite hanging of every word. "So why did you kill her boyfriend?"  
"This needed to be done, Greg! Shinji couldn't have won!" Harper said, crawling away from Greg slowly.  
"So you killed him. Death for anyone who doesn't fit the plan, right?" Greg asked with a smile.  
"Don't do it, Greg. We need seven! Remember! Without the seven, it all ends." Harper warned, panicked.  
"The World of the Damned will be Damned, eh?" Greg spat. "Well, I don't give a Damn." He said before pulling the trigger. At that moment, a throwing knife entered the path of the firearm, deflecting the would-be killing shot into Harper's shoulder. Greg span around and, much to his surprise, Jake had thrown the knife. "What the hell are you doing!?"  
"Removing the only unnecessary piece of the puzzle, sir." Jake said, letting yet another throwing knife dance from his fingers, piercing Greg's throat in the very center. Greg would have cried out in pain, had a hole not just been made through his voice box. "We need Harper yet. You are expendable."  
Greg mouthed the words, "Damn you" before Jake took his last remaining knife off of his belt and, after obtaining a close enough proximity, stabbed Greg in the head. Jake smiled slightly as the blood fled the wound in Jake's head and splattered itself on his face. Jake licked his lips clean of the blood before offering a hand to Harper.  
"We have to go for a walk." Jake said. "To talk..." He whispered something incoherent, yet unimportant. Harper cared not of which side he was on anymore, so long as that side was the winning team...  
  
***  
  
"Where the HELL are we going, Omni!? I thought we were going to save Rei!" Drac screamed at his winged companion as he flew them further and further from Tokyo 3.  
"To the beginning. Where this all began. Where man sought to defy God by inhibiting his Word, and eliminating God's Revelation of things to come by attacking Lilith." Omni said in a foreboding voice. Dracan nodded slowly, finally understanding.  
"And where came the beginning shall come the end... the Alpha and the Omega. Why not? Everything else seems to revolve around those words." Dracan muttered bitterly. "Spoken by Jesus Christ on numerous occasions in the Bible. Does Allen think himself to be the Son of God?" Dracan shook his head, then answered his own question. "No. That wouldn't make sense. Adam... The beginning of Man, the end of existence..."  
"Not if I can help it." Omni whispered quietly, a look of hate showing on his face.  
"What does that make you, Omni?" Dracan asked. "If he is that, what are you?" Omni sighed, shaking his head.  
"The end of this world, the beginning of another."  
"So in essence, you would destroy all the evil souls and have the chosen live their lives out happily." Dracan said cynically.  
"If the evil wish to be that way, there's no point in converting them. Everyone needs to take care of themselves.*"  
{*All you FF8 fanatics will appreciate that line...}  
"And let millions of people die in some form of inescapable purgatory?"  
"If it will ease the suffering of the good, yes. It is not the responsibility of the good to suffer for those less deserving."  
"True, but we cannot just watch other people suffer, as that would be a contradiction to what we are."  
"You wouldn't have to watch them suffer. It would be over and done with in a fraction of a second. Just BOOM! And everything is destroyed."  
"This isn't funny."  
"We angels have debated this long and hard, Dracan. Do you know what our conclusion was?" Omni asked, irritated. "73% of all angels didn't give a damn. The others said to destroy the place to save the other pure souls still on this 'World of the Damned'. These angels are those who proved themselves to be 'good souls', Dracan. Good enough to be God's select. I think they would know a little more than you with your pitiful 5 dimensional thinking."  
"Last I counted, I was at 32. Or was it 59... Oh wait... That's senses*... The point I'm trying to make is this. You could easily save those evil souls and THEN destroy the planet."  
"We tried that with Shinji. And your people killed him. Not Adam. Your 'Good Souls'."  
"Shinji? What has he got to do with anything?"  
"Haven't you figured it out by now?"  
"Humor me."  
"If you don't know, I won't tell you."  
"Omni, tell me about Shinji."  
"Drop it."  
"Tell me NOW."  
"Do you want to be dropped off on a glacier somewhere? There's one right there. But I'm sure you'd find it unbearably cold. Unless you'd like that very much, I suggest you drop it, before I drop you."  
Dracan immediately shut up, sighing heavily.  
"Are we there yet?" Dracan asked several moments later.  
"No." Omni said simply.   
After about a minute, Dracan asked, "How about now?"  
"No." Omni said bluntly as he began to beat his wing faster.  
  
***  
  
"But you have to go back."  
"I won't make any difference, my love. I would only be there for moral support. Dracorian has everything he needs in his hand, and I have already folded. He needs to play his hand correctly, and I would be but a hindrance."  
"What are you talking about? I'm talking about the fate of existence, and it seems to me like you're playing a game of cards."  
"It's called a METAPHOR, for Christ sake! Read a book!"  
"I wonder what happens if you take your OWN name in vain."  
"Asuka, it's not going to help anything! I'll just end up complicating matters!"  
"That is precisely why Drac was revived. To complicate matters for Allen."  
"Yeah. To make him think that there are things that you shouldn't hate in this world. Someone who cares. I am someone he hates. Remember when I punched him in the face?"  
"God, please make him talk sense!"  
"Leave Him out of this! He has nothing to do with this!"  
{Crash of Thunder}  
"Um... Well... Less so than usual... He has everything to do with everything, but... Ah..."  
"Shinji, stop being a spineless wimp and save the world already!"  
"And I'm saying that's Omni's job! Maybe it was mine! Once! But man played God! He took the very essence of what I was, and copied it into Drac! They don't need me! And they made it perfectly clear that they don't want me, either!"  
"But... What if Adam wins? WE won't be here to feel any pain, but... What about poor Allen? What will happen to HIM?"  
"He deserves it for straying from the path of God."  
"You don't believe that, do you, Shinji? Please say you don't..."  
"...I can't do anything to help, Asuka... I'm sorry..."  
"It's okay, Shinji-kun. I know that, if you could, you would help... I just... I wish... Hikari, and Kaji... Rei, Drac... HELL! Even Touji and Kensuke! They're down there. They're in pain.... Shinji, you never did see what Allen was like on the inside. I did. I realized that the night of that party. He's a scared little boy, Drac. He's terrified of what's happening to him. He can't stop it no matter how hard he tries... Two overwhelmingly powerful forces are attacking his soul... And he can't help but follow them. He doesn't understand what he's doing. We have to make him. You're the only one who can..."  
"Asuka... Don't cry... I... No. Stop... I... Asuka, I can't help them..."  
"Shinji... Just stay here with me... I don't... I want to spend my last moments with you..."  
"Asuka..."  
  
***  
  
"World of the Damned." Dracan muttered bitterly. "Was I the one who coined that phrase?"  
"I believe it was you who put it into those words, Drac. Words to Misato, advising her against calling to God for help." Omni said quietly.  
"I was right, though, wasn't I?"  
"Yes, you were. You knew that from the beginning."  
"That is not what I meant, and you know it."  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Hell. That's what I am talking about. Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven. Better to be free in Hardship, than to be subordinate in Paradise. Ring any bells?"  
"A few. Your point being?"  
"Allen IS Adam, isn't he?"  
"No. He isn't. Adam is in him. He is fighting Adam."  
"Then why hasn't Adam appeared before?"  
"Because Allen is..." Omni cut himself off and grew silent.  
"Genetically identical to Adam, and therefore opening the gateway to his soul." Dracan finished. "So Allen is Adam."  
"Adam is no more Allen than Yui is Rei. Perhaps less so." Dracorian snapped.  
"I know. The difference is that Yui's soul was a blueprint, and Allen just happened..." Drac shook his head. "But that doesn't matter. Because Adam is Satan."  
"And how did you come up with this hypothesis." Omni asked, a little too quickly.  
"It all makes sense now..."  
"How do you explain the serpent's presence in the Garden of Eden, then?"  
"But wasn't Lucifer sent to Hell? If so, why was he on Earth?"  
"Uh..." Omni stumbles on his words.  
"The serpent's presence is easy. Adam made Eve eat the apple, then made him suffer the consequences. Which brings me to another point. Yumi is Eve."  
"How are you coming up with all of this?"  
"Shut up and don't talk. I'm bouncing Ideas off you right now."  
"I'll bounce you off the rocks if you tell me to shut up again!"  
"Bah!" Drac waved him off, continuing. "Had I thought to bring Yumi with us... But I didn't..."  
"Hey! Aren't I supposed to be the one doing the saving?!"  
"You were always hardheaded, Dracorian. That will be your downfall." A voice said as a shape appeared before them, a shimmering light spreading out like a blanket of incandescence.  
"John...?" Omni whispered.  
"This is the Last Battle. You are Man's Warrior of Light. You were made from Christ to defeat Lucifer in the final days. However, you are but a copy. You only have a fifty percent chance for triumph. EXACTLY fifty percent. Believe me. Einstein is up there checking." John said the last part with a slight comical edge. Dracorian smiled slightly, nodding.  
"I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our talk, old friend. It's been great knowing you. It really has." Omni said to him as he attempted to fly passed him, but John flew in front of him to prevent it.  
"Answer, Dracorian. What does love mean to you?" John asked.  
"It doesn't matter."  
"It is ALL that matters. Why are you attacking Allen if not for Ayanami Rei? Because the boy asked you to?"  
"No. I am going to save Rei."  
"And if it were someone else, you would call it. . . What was your term? 'A necessary casualty of War?' Come now, Omni. I know you better than that."  
"What do you want me to say, John? What does it matter, even if I do? It won't change anything."  
"It will give you a purpose. That is all you need. That is all you needed then, too. Even if you WERE on the wrong side."  
"Would you stop bringing up that whole Germany thing? I thought the guy was talking world peace! I didn't know he was going to commit Genocide!"  
"But it was a purpose. And no one could sway you from that until you saw the truth for yourself."  
"So? What does it matter? I'm going to stop Allen. He's committing an even worse act of Genocide than Hitler. Isn't that enough of a purpose."  
"But it's not YOUR purpose."  
"It's A purpose. And it's good enough."  
"Then why not wait until you're powerful enough to defeat him?"  
"Because then Rei will be. . ." Omni cut himself off.  
"What is love, Omni? Tell me."  
"Again, John, I cannot give an unbiased opinion. This time for the exact opposite reasons of the first." Omni said after a long sigh. John merely nodded and grew transparent as he faded away.  
"Tell me when it's over, Dracorian. Give me your unbiased opinion. For you WILL win. You must." And with that, the apostle was gone.  
  
***  
  
She shivered with cold as a biting wind blew against her, but she could only assume she was inside due to the lack of light. "W-what do you want with me. . .?" Rei asked quietly. The darkness made it impossible to see where she was, and the only reason she knew someone was there was because there was a quiet sound of footsteps pacing around her, reminding her of the futility of an escape attempt.  
"I need you. You are my gateway." Allen said, and Rei could almost seen the grin on his face.  
"Gateway? What gateway? What are you talking about?" Rei asked, panicked.  
"I have my Seven, and I have my lamb. My Seven will play their trumpets, each bringing with them death. You will break the seals, my lamb."  
"I don't know what you're talking about! Leave me alone!" Rei screamed in terror.  
"Come now, Yui. I know it's you. You can stop hiding."  
"Yui. . .? Ikari-san's wife? No! I'm Rei!" Rei said, baffled.  
"Sure you are Rei, Yui. And you will open the seals because the Real lamb was destroyed by SEELE."  
"What lamb? What do sheep have to do with this?!"  
Allen tsked. "No need to play dumb, Yui. It won't help things. Gendo has already set himself up as a martyr. There's nothing you can do to stop it. Had Shinji been alive, I might not have been able, but now that he's gone, nothing stands in my way. Drac is nothing to me, nor is Omni."  
"Shinji. . . Dead. . .?" Rei gasped, unable to grasp the concept. 'Ikari-kun. . . When. . .? Why. . .?"  
"If you must know, Mr. Harper planted the bullet in the back of his kneck himself. You know him from the party."  
"Oh my God. . ." And Rei began to weep.  
"Hmm. . . Maybe you aren't Yui. Oh well. You are expendable. Omni will be here momentarily. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. I was hoping for a clean cut. Omni has forced my hand, however. Existence will die slowly and painfully."  
"Not existence. Just this world." Omni said quietly. The scenery illuminated with a flash as a small flame appeared in Omni's hand.  
"'Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.'" Dracan murmured quietly, gazing up into the heavens. Rei looked up as well, noting that they were, in fact, outside, but the sky was devoid of all. Not even stars shone to permeate the foreboding darkness.  
"Brother! It is good to see you again!" Allen said sarcastically through his typical grin.  
"Shut up, Adam. I'm sick of your voice. What would you use Rei for? Why do you want her if not to torment me in some way?" Dracan glared at Allen with hate.  
". . .Adam. . .?" Rei whispered, not knowing what was going on."  
"Now, now, Drac. I merely thought she as someone she wasn't." Allen said in his defense.  
'Or is I Adam. . .?' Rei thought, looking at the grin on the boy's face. Then Rei did a double-take. This was no boy. Though it had all the appearances of Allen, it appeared to be someone ten years his senior.  
"Now that I know that she is not Yui, I will be happy to return her to you." Allen said. With this, he grabbed Rei by the back of the head and yanked her up off the ground with much force. His arm level to ground, he looked Rei in the face and said, "Goodbye, Ms. Ayanami."  
Rei felt her body below her neck grow numb as he heard Drac scream out in horror. Rei wanted to scream out as well, for the pain was excruciating, but she couldn't breathe in to muster enough of a howl. She felt herself flying through the air until she hit Drac's chest.  
Drac merely stared at her as he let her fall to the ground. Rei knew she was going to die. She felt herself fading swiftly. All of this seemed to go so slowly, though it was so short a period of time. . .  
She remembered that her second to last thoughts were of why Drac had not taken her in his arms, to hold her as she died, why he had not told her that he loved her. . .  
She remembered her last thoughts being ones of shock as she looked over at Allen to see her body lying at his feet.  
  
***  
  
Drac stood there in total shock. Nothing was registering in his brain.  
'That didn't just happen. . . No. . .' Dracan stared at Rei's decapitated body, then shifted his gaze to the head that lay at his feet. 'Why. . . Rei. . .' Dracan turned his head, tears rolling from his eyes, his very being threatening to fall apart like so much broken glass.  
". . .why. . ." Dracan muttered quietly, accusingly at Adam and, even though it was scarcely above a whisper, it echoed throughout the plain of Ice and bitter cold.  
"Honestly, Dear Brother, you needn't lie to me. You don't really care why I did it, do you?" Adam asked, completely unaffected by what had happened.  
"I don't." Omni growled. "I just want you to die for it. And you will. I will kill you." A long staff appeared in his hand, seemingly created out of light. And yet, the black wings of the man seemed to suck the life out of the staff until it too was a dark, foreboding color of hatred and revenge. Two long blades emerged from the staff, one from each edge.  
"The staff. . . A weapon of defense, not of death. . ." Dracan whispered quietly.  
"Well, well. What have we here? Does Dracorian actually think that he can WIN?" Adam scoffed. "And against Lucifer, the one who once was the right hand of GOD! The one who was cast out because God feared his power!" Adam developed a look of insanity, his eyes glowing a dark red.  
"You weren't cast out of heaven because of your power, Lucifer. You were cast out because of pride. Better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven. . . Adam. . . Better to rule in poverty than to serve in paradise. When DID you merge, Adam? Or were you Satan all along?"  
With that, Adam lunged himself at Omni with a quick movement, forming a sword in his hand, that of an equal color of blackness. Omni parried the slash with the top of his staff, then slashed at his feet with the bottom. Allen jumped into the air and kicked him in the side of the head, sending him flying into a near wall of ice.  
"You cannot beat the devil with hate and revenge. . . The Father of Lies sees through that of his own making, and cannot be harmed by such petty means. . ." Drac muttered, curled into a ball by Rei's head, gazing into those vacant eyes. Those eyes that were so full of life were now absent of all. Rei had left him and, as she was killed by Adam, she could not be revived. Her soul belonged to him now. . .  
  
All the hatred. . . All the loathing. . . All the jealousy emerged from Omni's being at that moment. It was he who received Eden. It was he who killed Rei. It was he who was about to destroy all existence. And It was Omni who would destroy him.  
Omni burst from the wreckage of the wall, taking flight and flying high into the sky, launching a myriad of fireballs down on Adam, all for naught. Adam smiled, launching himself into the air with haste, dodging all of the blasts from Omni.  
Drac looked up at the fiery rain that was to fall upon him, and cared not. He welcomed it. Welcomed the exit to this final chapter in his life. . .  
Each of the fireballs bounced off a dark black shield like tennis balls.  
Jake, the one who saved Omni's soul and immediately thereafter sided with Satan, stood there, palm raised to deflect the balls of heat.  
"You have to ask yourself, Dracan. Who would you want to win?" Jake said in a clear monotonous voice.  
"What do you mean?! Omni is on the side of good here!" Dracan spat at Jake's feet, as though he had just blasphemed. Jake shook his head and pointed at the battle above.  
"Tell me, Dracan. Which one is Omni? Which one is on the side of good?" Jake asked. Dracan looked up with an angry glare and noticed the undeniable truth.  
All he could see was two sets of black wings, with two sets of weapons, both emitting the desire for death. Dracan shook is head, awe-struck, before he realized his role.  
"Both of their paths lead to destruction. There is no way in which we can escape. All will die either way. Allen has won, even if he loses the battle." Dracan nodded to this.  
"Omni was chosen by God as the Judge. He would look from the outside, neither loving nor hating, looking at the world objectively."  
"I, obviously, recognized that before you did. I did what was required of me. Sometimes, God requires a little brutality. It could not be helped. All I ask of you, Dracan, is that you look at this, without any pretenses. Look as Omni was meant to look. See in this what Omni was meant to see. Then you will know what to do."  
Drac nodded, looking up at the fray and stepping out of the shield.  
  
***  
  
"Bastard!" Omni screamed, slashing violently at Adam, which was deflected instantly.  
"Guilty, as charged. Both my parents were killed. Both, where directly or indirectly, were your fault." Allen said, smiling evilly as he kicked Omni at the ground, charging a him. Dracan rolled away, just as a downward thrust of Adam's sword embedded itself in the ice.  
"Yes! I killed your father! And I loved it! It felt good to pull the trigger and blow his fucking head off!" Omni screamed, foaming at the mouth slightly as he leaped to his feet. "But not nearly as good as it will feel when I split you in two!"  
"Alright, Omni." Allen said, making the blade in his hand disappear. "Kill me. Kill the monster within me. Now is your chance. Slay the evil within me."  
"Fine!" He screamed, stabbing violently out at the man.  
Dracan cried out in pain as the staff sailed strait through his body, causing it to fall just short of Allen. Allen looked at Dracan with wonder, not sure what to make of this.  
"You are what the world made you, brother. . ." Dracan whispered. "But you have the power to re-forge yourself in the shape that you see best. . ." Dracan slid off the staff as he joined the majority of his blood on the now red ground.  
"And it begins, and ends. Two innocents' blood are spilled." Jake said, fading out of the world, so as not to see what was to become next.  
"Drac. . ." Allen whispered. "He called me. . . Brother. . .?" Allen felt as though his head were aflame, he couldn't think strait. His mind hurt immensely. . .  
Adam looked up at Omni with a smile, and Omni had the exact same smile on HIS face.  
  
***  
  
Where am I. . .?  
You are nowhere.  
Am I. . . Dead?  
Far from it, boy. You and I are the only things alive.  
Who are you. . .?  
Surely you know me?  
Adam. . .  
Correct.  
So the world is gone now. . . All evil is gone. . .  
Yes. . . Of course.  
But. . . Where is everybody.  
They were all evil. They are all gone. I am the only one left.  
But if there is nothing. . .  
Oh, but we can create, Allen. We can create a new world. A PERFECT world! One where we will rule over all! One where evil will not exist!  
Really. . .?  
Yes! Of course. Merely do what I tell you, and the world will be perfect.  
But. . . I thought. . .  
Yes! You do have the power, as promised! But you don't know how to use it. Just let me into your mind again and. . .  
No! Don't touch my mind! No more! I won't let you do bad things anymore!  
What do you mean, Allen? Have I not been your friend?  
You killed! You killed through me!  
Only what was necessary! They needed to die!  
You are evil too! All existence needs to die before there is a clean slate!  
Allen, you know not what you are doing! You. . .  
The world. . . Is purged. Brother. . .? Where are you. . .? Mom? Dad? Yumi? Come back. . .  
. . .  
Why won't you come?  
. . .  
I'm scared. . . please. . . Don't leave me alone. . .  
  
The End  
  
There we go. That's the end. No more. That's all folks. Great way to end it, no? There's no more. Just. . . Death. Allen floats in nonexistence for all eternity. You guys told me to finish it. I'm done. . .  
What? I never said anything about multiple endings. Never once. Nope. This is the only ending. They're all dead. Sadly ever after. And all that Jazz.  
No, I'm absolutely SURE the multiple endings thing was only a rumor. Why would I say something like that?  
When did I promise that? I don't recall saying that I would have a separate ending.  
Listen, if you're going to quote me on things, then I am just going to have to not write anymore.  
So what if I wasn't going to anyway?  
No, I don't care what Tiny does with that lead pipe.  
Yes, I'm sure it would be very unpleasant to have that shoved lengthwise up my nether regions. . .  
Um. . . Maybe I might write something later. . . I have an English paper to write, I have all this other stuff to study for. . .  
What? {Pant, Pant} I'm not running! {Pant, Pant} Just. . . Oh, God! Damn the computers that make me fat and out of shape. . .  
{Noises of violet rending of flesh}  
  
Anyway, I'll eventually get to writing Shinji and Drac's endings. Probably after I get out of high school in a week or so. The thing is, while I'm in school, I can't write a page a day like I used to. And Shinji's Ending branches off from when he died way back when.  
But let me congratulate all the people out there that helped make this fic possible. Chemiclord, I thank you for your brotherly insight, as well as the protection of a big brother from less constructive reviewers {Cough cough, Red Horseman, cough cough!}. I thank Rune Carver for being himself, that is, similar to Marvin in Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Your moodiness and depression helped me realize that there were people with much worse social problems than I, and also that there IS a PMS for guys. {JK}  
And I'd also like to thank a few readers out there for their help in everything, though they did nothing when they'd say they'd help or something like that. And Mr. Wu-Fei, you still scare me. Really. I have a pistol by my bed now. Thanks be to the one who declared that Carnies are not pleasant company, and in fact, are devilishly frightening.  
Is their anyone I forgot? If there is, E-mail me and harass me about it. Even if you didn't do anything, you can just say you did. Oh, yeah. I'd also like to thank the guy who keyed my car. It gave me an excuse to throw it out and get a new one.  
Quiet Chemi. . . I do SO have a car!  
Shut up! I LIKE my matchbox collection!  
~The Ayanami Card, the Kay-Nap-Daddy, or, if you prefer. . .  
~Doffman the Great  
  
Ahahahahahahahahaha, Hahahahahahahahahahaha!  
{Lucca Ashtear is my Idol. . .} 


	35. Chapter 36

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

**The Darkness Emerges**

By Doffman

Well, after a very long break, I'm back on working on this fan fic.  The reason I've been putting it off for so long is that Shinji's section is going to take a lot of doing, as it cuts out a huge part of the story, starting from where Chapter 31 left off.  I really haven't been able to pop out a page a day anymore either, because, though I don't think I have writers block, I may have a dam in there somewhere that lets it trickle out a bit at a time…

Prologue:

                "Yuu, Diana, I'd like to thank you for what you've done for us." Yuuhi said, gripping Mina's hand firmly.  "You see, we decided…"

"That we're going away together." Mina said cheerfully.  "You see, Yuuhi was offered a job at the Globe, and he wouldn't take it because…"

"Then I'd be leaving Mina." Yuuhi said, equal joy in his voice.  "So Mina decided that she would break up with me to make me go, but…"

"When you guys came along, we used you to get back together." Mina said, her cheer fading.  "We feel bad for how we treated you, and how we used you, so…" Mina and Yuuhi bowed slightly.

"Gomen nasai." They said at the same time.  Both Asuka and Shinji stood there, wide-eyed and silent.

"I realize now, Yuu, that I picked you to make Yuuhi jealous because you look so much like Yuuhi." Mina said.  "Even your names are similar.  When I realized that, I realized exactly how much I loved Yuuhi…" Mina said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Shinji and Asuka stood there and blinked.

"Well…" Shinji said.

"What…?" Asuka asked.

"I really hope we can keep in touch, guys.  We'll call you when we make it to Britain." Yuuhi said, walking past them and waving his good-byes.

***

Harper sat and waited, looking for an opening.  Shinji was standing in front of the school, and students kept getting in the way of his shot, so he had to wait a while.

_"Remember this, Harper." Kaji said, holding out the rifle.  "This is very important.  If you are given four bullets, you are expected to take out four targets.  When you are a sniper, you can't miss."_

_"Why do I have to learn this?" Harper complained._

_"You most likely won't be on a sniper mission, since you've got a desk job, but just in case we need you, you need to be trained." Kaji said, shoving the rifle into his grasp._

"Gotta concentrate…" Harper slapped himself in the face.  He gripped onto the rifle again, only to find that he couldn't hold the rifle steady.  He took out the pack of tranquilizers given him, and injected it to calm himself down, then returned to the rifle.  Finally, an opening appeared, and he was ready.

"Good bye, Shinji." Harper said, aiming the sniper rifle for the base of his neck.  Just as he pulled the trigger, however, Yuuhi stepped in the line of fire.  "Damn!" Harper shouted as the bullet sailed from the gun with not a sound but a sharp whistle of air.

***

The bullet whistled through the air, unbeknown to anyone.  The bullet connected with the skull of the boy, hitting him in the temple.  The sheer velocity of the bullet, along with the weakness of that portion of the skull, allowed the bullet to sail strait through, allowing it to hit its predestined target as well…

And yet the bullet stopped, milliseconds before piercing Shinji's skin.

Everything had stopped.  TIME had stopped…

And Shinji was left to stand there, wondering why everyone had stopped moving…

He turned to see a bullet which had just smashed through his friend's temple, floating in mid-air, in a direct path for the base of his neck…

A bright flash of light reflected off the bullet at which he stared, and when the blinding glare was gone, there was only darkness.

_Well, now.  That was quite surprising.  I wonder what would have happened if that bullet would have hit you…  Hmm…  Let's find out, shall we…?_

And what followed for Shinji was a terrible vision of things to come…  So terrible…  playing themselves over and over…

Chapter 36  
Shinji's Awakening

_Make it stop…  Please…_

_You don't want to see anymore? Are you sure?  Don't you want to see the part where Rei is decapitated again?  That was neat how Allen rolled her head to Drac like a bowling ball, wasn't it?_

_No…  No more…  Please…_

_Perhaps we could return to the part where Asuka kills Misato.  That was a really good one.  I hear being stabbed in the gut is a really painful way to die.  So is slitting your wrists.  Too bad Asuka only felt the pain of it, and didn't actually die._

_Shut up…_

_I know!  Let's watch the part where Asuka hangs herself!  That was the best one, I think.  She was calling out to you, Shinji.  She wanted you to return to her, but you couldn't, so she tried to go to you.  Because you couldn't be there for her, she couldn't handle life.  Sad in a way._

_Stop it…  Make it stop…_

_I can't do that, Shinji.  Only you can make it stop.  I don't have that power.  I'm just showing you what will happen if that bullet hits you…_

The blank nothingness faded away instantly, to reveal the scene in front of the school.  But nothing was moving.  A bullet had just found its way through Yuuhi's temple, and pieces of brain matter trailed after the bullet that was mere centimeters from his face.

Shinji followed the trajectory of the bullet to its source, and as he looked, he found himself floating towards the building that the sniper was perched upon.  The sniper was none other than David Harper.

A boy came floating down from the sky, a pair of gray wings slowing his descent, the only moving thing other than Shinji himself.  "Well, now that you've seen what will happen if you die here, it's about time to see what happens if we let things play again, what do you think?" The boy asked, touching down lightly on the ground.

"Who are you…?" Shinji asked quietly.  The boy made an extravagant bow, smiling slightly.

"I am the Angel of Death for this World of the Damned.  My celestial name is Asmodeus, however, here I have been referred to as Jacob.  Merely an Angel of Death, the lowest of the low in the hierarchy of Angels, I believe.  But I do believe I have been enjoying this job thus far."

"You enjoy tormenting people…?" Shinji glared at the boy, bitterness dripping from the words.

"Tormenting?  Is that what you think I'm trying to do?" Jacob asked, amused to the point of a soft laughter.  "Heaven forbid!  Though it is rather entertaining to see you squirm and mutter pleas for me to stop, that is not the purpose of me showing you those things."

"I don't see any other purpose…" Shinji muttered. Jacob gestured back to the school, to the scene, where another Shinji stood with his back to the bullet.

"You see that?  At this exact point and time, in this very moment, everything hangs in the balance.  At this one point and time, everything is hanging by a thread, a strand of hope named Ikari Shini." Jacob replied simply.  "You've seen what will happen if you die here, a few milliseconds from now.  Even then, it was YOU who decided what happened afterwards.

"You see Shinji, you are the one who is meant to stop all this.  You are the Zenith of this world.  No matter what, without you, this world will set.  Even Dracan, who is but a sad copy of you, could not save this world.  You have seen this.  But where he failed, you may yet succeed."

"A copy of me…?" Shinji asked, eyes widening.  "What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess there's no point in keeping Kaoru's and Bren's little secret now, is there?"  Jacob shrugged.  "You were supposed to be sent here, your soul was to come again, to take the chosen of your race away from it all, and the ones left were supposed to be in pain and suffering on this planet.

"But your soul, being the all loving, all forgiving thing it is, wanted to save ALL of humanity, even the ones who fell short of God's expectations.  You asked Him if there was any way to stop it.  You asked Him if there was any way to save ALL of them.

"God, however, wanted them to make the CHOICE to go to Heaven, and wanted to give them the CHOICE to believe in him.  For it is God's belief that denying his creation choice was the ultimate evil, something that he could not do.

"So, knowing that Satan would come again, and knowing how vain Adam had become, he sent Adam, along with 10,000 of God's Children, back to the earth, to try to save them, along with one other."

"What one other…?" Shinji asked, swallowing hard, knowing the answer.

"He sent his son, the son of God, to guide his flock of 10,000." Jacob said, pausing before saying, reluctantly, "He sent you, Shinji."

"JESUS CHRIST!" Shinji screamed at the top of his lungs, eyes wide with shock.

"Exactly." Jacob shrugged.

"That's not what I meant!" Shinji yelled, trying to squeeze something out of his head that actually made sense with his hands.  "You're telling me….  That **_I_**, Shinji Ikari, am the Son of God!?"

"That is exactly what I am telling you, but I also told you a lot more than that, if you had been listening." Jacob shrugged.  "You're the one who wanted to save the world of non-believers.  For you, God threw away his prophecy, because you CHOSE to try and save those nonbelievers.  To deny this choice, the choice of his Son, would have been Evil."

"So it's MY fault that all of that is going to happen!?" Shinji asked, panicked.

"If you CHOOSE to let it happen, Shinji, then yes." Jacob shrugged at this, leaning against Harper's frozen body.  "God gave you the power of choice, Shinji, because that's what you asked for.  Even in those two other possibilities, it was you who chose the one who would determine man's fate, because you will have chosen for it to be someone other than yourself."

"What do you mean?  What am I choosing?  What would I be choosing myself to do!?" Shinji cried out shakily, not comprehending what he must do.  To this, Jacob merely sighed, making a hand gesture that left glowing trails of light after it.

"You see?  This is why Kaoru didn't want to be the one to tell you, and neither did Bren.  You'd get all flustered and start asking questions that have already been answered, start screaming at the one who told you to answer them, over and over again, and nothing really gets accomplished other than getting in a shouting match with the Son of God, something that isn't thought all that proper up in heaven." Jacob grinned, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"This isn't funny!  Just tell me what the hell is going on!" Shinji demanded.  Jacob sighed again, his glowing hand drawing symbols in the air.

"I think I'll just awaken you, and then you can find your own answers.  It will be a lot easier.  Besides.  I have places to go, people to kill and whatnot…" The symbols began glowing a bright white flashing the maybes and the 'might's in his head over and over again, watching his friends die, watching the world die, watching the pain and suffering of the entire world compact into visuals that take up the span of one second, played over and over again.

_Stop it…  I don't want to see… No…_

_I can't make it go away, Shinji.  Only you can._

_Make it stop…  Make it STOP!_

The images crashed against his very consciousness, assaulting his very soul, until finally, one image stood out in the torrent of blood and death.  Asuka hung by her neck in her closed, the look of death spread across her face, her body swinging back and forth slightly as a small trail of blood slid down her chin.Seeing this, seeing the woman that he loved in such a state, sent Shinji over the edge…

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Shinji cried at a barrier of white light, an AT Field, shielded him, sending the bullet ricocheting harmlessly away.  Shinji fell to his knees on the school steps as the body of his friend, Yuuhi, collapsed on top of him, and school children screamed at the top of their lungs, running in all directions.

"Yuuhi!" Mina cried, dropping to her knees next to Shinji and Yuuhi, taking him up in her arms.  "No….  No…  Don't die…  We were supposed to run away together…  We were supposed to be happy…"  Tears flowed freely from the girls eyes as she pressed her face into Yuuhi's chest.  "Why…?  Why did this happen…?"

"Because…  They…  Wanted me dead…" Shinji muttered softly, brain matter and blood splashed across his face.

"Yuu…?  They wanted…  YOU dead…?" Mina whispered quietly, softly.  "It's because they were trying to kill you that he is dead…?"

"I…  I think…  I can…  I think I can help him…" Shinji stammered softly under his breath.  Asuka, who had been standing there, gaping for the past several minutes, took this time to speak.

"Shinji…  Yuuhi's been shot in the head…  You're just an Eva Pilot.  You're not God." Asuka put a hand on his shoulder.  Shinji nodded, raising his hands in front of him, palms up.

"Maybe not, Asuka…  But I'm close enough…" Shinji muttered, and his hands began to glow a pure white light, so bright that Asuka had to look away.  Shinji rested his hands on Yuuhi's forehead, and the light spread throughout the boy's body, and the wound in Yuuhi's head slowly began to close.

When the light faded away, the wound was gone, and they were alone on the steps; all the other children had fled.  Suddenly, another bullet came down against the AT Field that Shinji had made, drawing his attention.

"Stop…" Shinji opened his eyes, which were glowing a searing white light.

***

                "Damn!" Harper cursed as the bullet struck the boy in front of Shinji instead of Shinji himself.  As the boy fell to the ground, Harper quickly rifled through the sniper rifle case, pulling out another bullet and loading it into the gun.  Taking aim yet again, Harper fired, but this time, something strangely peculiar happened.  

The bullet bounced of a bright white field around Shinji.  When this happened, Shinji looked directly at him.  His eyes glowed a pure white, and one look in those eyes told Harper that he was going to die if he continued.  The eyes conveyed no threat, only a statement.  A truth.  He was being given a choice to run…

And Harper ran like a bat out of hell.

***

                When Yuuhi opened his eyes, he found himself laying on a bed, Yuu's bed, in Yuu's room.  Yuu sat in the corner, on the floor, with Diana directly behind him, arms wrapped around his waist, head resting on his shoulder, eyes closed.

                Sitting in a chair by the door was a man, he assumed to be Yuu's father, with a pistol in hand, a shotgun leaning against the wall.

                On the other side of the room was a woman, frantically talking on a cellphone to someone as she paced back and forth, and at the side of the bed was Mina, her head resting on the side of the bed as she had fallen asleep.

                "Welcome back to the world of the living, kid." The man said, noting that Yuuhi had awakened.  "Make yourself useful.  Catch." The man threw Yuuhi the pistol he was holding, taking up the shotgun.  Yuuhi held the pistol in his hands, staring at it for a few seconds.

                "Um…  I'm not good at shooting, sir…  The last time I shot used a gun, it was a BB gun, and I shot myself in the foot…" Yuuhi muttered quietly.  The woman on the phone swiftly took the gun from Yuuhi, holding the phone away from her head only long enough to scold the man about underage firearm usage.

                "Ah, it doesn't matter." The man sighed.  "So.  I hear you died.  How did it feel?"

                "I…  Died?" Yuuhi raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

                "Yup.  You got a bullet right in your head.  Quite messy, supposedly.  How does it feel to be brought back to life?" the man asked.  Obviously, Yuuhi thought, this man was insane.

                "Um…  Right.  I feel fine.  But not very safe with you holding a gun…" Yuuhi smiled nervously.

                "Oh, don't worry.  I'm a very precise shot." The man assured him, which scared him even more.  Yuuhi merely nodded, smiling nervously, turning to the sleeping form of Mina.

                Yuuhi didn't know what happened…  He was supposed to be on a plane to Britain, with Mina at this time…  Why was he in Yuu's room?  Why was Yuu and Diana's entire family in the room with them?  And why were they armed to the teeth…?

                As he was thinking this, Mina slowly shifted, opening her eyes, and upon seeing Yuuhi awake, threw her arms around his neck and began crying into his chest.  Yuuhi didn't know what was going on…  But he needed to find out…

***

                'I'm scared, Shinji…' Asuka told him, squeezing him tightly, trying to reaffirm the fact that he was actually there.  'I'm terrified…'

                'What are you scared of, Asuka?  I'm here, and I won't let anything hurt you.  I will protect you, Asuka.' Shinji assured her, though it did not seem to comfort her.

                'That's not what I'm scared of, Shinji…' Asuka muttered, tears forming in her eyes.

                'Then what are you scared of?' Shinji asked.

                'I'm…  I'm afraid…  That you aren't MY Shinji…' Asuka confessed, holding him even tighter.  'You've been changing, Shinji…  Slowly and surely, yes, but you're different now than you were when we met…  And I'm afraid…  That you're not the same Shinji that I fell in love with…  I'm scared that you're something else now…  And that frightens me more than anything else…'

                'Asuka…  You don't need to worry…  I'm still your Baka Shinji, and I will always be.  I…  I believe I am now MORE of the one you fell in love with than I was then…'

                'What do you mean…?  I don't understand…'

                'I don't understand this myself, Asuka…  Right now, I'm feeling around, blindly in the dark, trying to make up from down…  But…  Asuka, I'm still Shinji…  And I still love you more than anything on this earth…  So…  Please don't cry…'

***

                "What do you MEAN you're going!?  You're staying right here!" Misato bellowed at Shinji, who was by the door, holding tightly to Asuka's hand.

                "I need to talk to someone.  Besides, you guys will be fine without me here.  I'm the one they're after." Shinji grinned slightly, his voice taking the old, 'nervous Shinji' tone.

                "Then we can call whoever you want to talk to, and have them meet us at NERV!  You can't go running off on your own, where you will most likely be killed!" Misato crossed her arms, glaring at Shinji.

                "I won't be going alone, because I'll be taking Asuka with me.  And NERV holds no sway over the person I wish to speak with.  Don't worry about me.  At this point, I don't NEED an EVA to survive an N2 mine anymore." Shinji scratched the back of his head nervously.

                "What is THAT supposed to mean, Shinji!?  It's not like you're God or anything!  Shinji, you could DIE!  Today proves that!  And I can't let that happen!"

                "I have a few questions, if you don't mind…" Yuuhi interrupted Misato's screams with the clearing of his throat and a brief inquiry in a completely calm voice.  "Who is Shinji, who is Asuka, why did someone try to shoot Yuu-kun, why is everyone saying that I died, and most importantly, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?!?!?" Yuuhi screamed, loosing composure at the end of his long list of questions.  Shinji took the liberty of answering them.

                "Well, my name is really Ikari Shinji, Diana's name is really Asuka Langley Sohryu, people are trying to shoot me because they think I'm a threat to the future, and everyone is saying you died because you actually DID die." Shinji took a deep breath at the end.

                "If I died, then how come I'm alive right now!?" Yuuhi raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

                "Because…  I…  Brought you back…" Shinji admitted reluctantly.  Yuuhi, at this point began to laugh.

                "Oh, yeah!  Right!  Seriously!  This is a really good joke, guys!  Hilarious!  You even got Mina in on it!  Great setup!" Yuuhi guffawed.  Shinji sighed, resuming his argument with Misato, and ending it at the same time.

                "Well, Misato, I would love to explain it all to you, but I don't really have the time.  Asuka and I are leaving.  And who knows.  If the world doesn't end, then maybe we'll be laughing about this later…" Shinji sighed heavily, looking to Asuka as if to ask if she was prepared.  She nodded to him, indicating she indeed was.

                "Shinji, you are NOT stepping through that door!" Misato growled.

                "You're right, Misato.  I'm not." Shinji smiled slightly as his body seemed to be disintegrated right in front of her, along with Asuka's, in a brilliant flash of light.


	36. Chapter 37

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

**The Darkness Emerges**

By Doffman

Jeez.  I'm going to be posting 36 and 37 at the same time anyway, so why do I have to write forwards for both?  It's kinda redundant, if you ask me (Do you find repetitive questions redundant?  If you replied yes to the first question, do you STILL find repetitive questions redundant?) .  By the way, did you know that it is really hard to type when you have a cat that keeps sitting on your hands and swatting at the space bar?

Now, if he hit the space bar at the right time, then that would be another thing.  It would be saving me keystrokes. But he only seems to be doing it when I'm in the middle of a word.  And, as you may or may not know, I henpeck when I type, meaning that I need to see the keys.  My cat likes to lie between me and my keyboard.  Which is fine.  But when he lifts his head in such a manner so that I cannot see the keys, this is not fine.  It is actually rather annoying.

Why am I talking about my cat instead of writing my fic, you ask?  Because I want to.  What?  You didn't ask?  Well…  Screw you, then.  By the way, a lot of what happens in this chapter was inspired by Demon: the Fallen, a White Wolf system of roleplaying that speaks a lot about Angels and Demons.  I think it's quite correct, in a lot of ways…  *Runs from the Radical Religious Right (If the KKK were Christians, they would be the RRR), because he said that evil, sinful role-playing might have valid information on religion.*

By the way, at this point, everything in the other chapters has happened excluding the events involving Asuka, Shinji, Kaji and Misato, up to the point just before Rei was kidnapped by Allen.  I was told not to repost, so I'm not going to, so :p.  I'll get to why probably in Chapter 38.

Chapter 37

"That," Asuka muttered, taking large breaths through gritted teeth, "Was painful."  Giving a quick appraisal of the scenery, it seemed that they were in a church of some kind, but Asuka found herself not caring as her whole body was recovering from the shock of the immense amounts of pain she had just went through.

"Well…  That's because you were ripped into separate atoms and then reassembled all in the span of 3 seconds.  Quite a painful process…" Shinji explained as the pure white wings on his back were touched by a wind that did not exist.  Seemingly made of a pale white light the wings flickered for a brief second, then withdrew into Shinji's body without a trace.  Asuka stared at Shinji with astonishment.

"What…  What was that…?" Asuka asked, gaping.

"An improved version of what Kaoru gave you, Miss Sohryu." A man in a priest's robe replied as he slowly ascended the stairs from the basement.  "Or rather, that he awakened in you.  You see, Shinji's wings are completely undetectable by any of the scientific means that exist…  But you are not here to learn about things as trifle as that, are you?"

"I need to see Kaoru, Bren.  And I need you to take me to him." Shinji spoke abruptly.  The man Shinji had dubbed Bren laughed lightly, shaking his head slightly as he came closer, arms folded behind his back.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Shinji. Though I don't know where you learned my name, or how you gained those powers that you possess, I'm assuming it has something to do with Jacob." Bren smiled observing Shinji to see if it were true.

"I have been awakened, Bren.  I know a great deal more than you would think." Shinji replied with an emotionless face, giving nothing away.  Bren nodded to this, rubbing his chin softly.

"If you have been truly awakened, then you should far surpass me in power and essence, shouldn't you, _Milord?  Are you up to it, then?  Do you wish to duel me…?" Bren asked, grinning slightly, holding out his right hand, which seemed to glow with a light blue energy._

"Very well, Bren.  If this is what you wish, then it will be so.  We will duel." Shinji nodded, stepping forward.  "You proposed the Duel, therefore I will allow you to go first."  Bren nodded, and closed his eyes slowly in concentration.

"Now wait a minute!"  Asuka interrupted, panicking.  "Y-you guys should go around fighting in a church, should you!?  Isn't that…  Like…  Sacrilege or something?"  Asuka new very well that, even if Shinji were an Angel, he was a newer one, and didn't possess the kind of power that an older one did…  And Asuka was not at all interested in watching Shinji die.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Miss Sohryu.  Why would it be sacrilege?" Bren opened his eyes, tilting his head in curiosity towards Asuka.  After about a second Bren nodded, chuckling slightly.  "Ah.  Ignorance.  You know very little, Miss Sohryu.  Rest assured that there will be no fighting in our duel.  The mere concept of killing had not come to light until the Sin War."  To this, Shinji nodded, smiling reassuringly at Asuka.

"Don't worry, Asuka.  We will be dueling in the fashion that battles were fought before the idea of violence, and _long_ before humans even existed…  You see, before then, when Angels had a disagreement, they created, they didn't destroy.  The one who could create the most beautiful thing was considered to have won." Returning his gaze to Bren, Shinji nodded.  "Continue, please."  Bren nodded back, and closed his eyes in concentration again, the blue light spreading out in front of him, forming into some vague shape that seemed indistinguishable at first, then forming into something more solid…

The blue light became more solid, shifting to brown in some parts, and to green on the top, taking shape till it vaguely resembled a tree, changing shape and growing solid until it looked like a marker drawing of one.  A small part of the brown came free from the main part, and it began to take the shape of a bird.  A small part of the green came free, and it fell to the ground slowly, taking the shape of a flower decorated bush.  When finally everything was solid, what remained of the blue light in Bren's hand lifted upwards, and moved through the tree's leaves, making a soothing rustling noise that seemed to make Asuka want to rest her head on one of the pews as the bird chirped what seemed like a musical masterpiece.  And the flowers decorating the bush were so dazzlingly perfect that Asuka had to fight the urge to run over and pick one immediately.

When all was said and finished, Bren let out a soft sigh and opened his eyes once more, admiring his work.  "You know, Shinji, I was newly created just before the Sin Wars…  The war of Lucifer against God…  And This scene reminds me a great deal of what had pushed him over the edge…

"He and his angels had created a beautiful scene for Adam and Eve before they ate from the Tree of Wisdom.  The Angels made this tree, this bird, and this bush.  This was to attempt to make man see the beauty of nature.  Do you know what they did when they saw it, Shinji?" Bren asked casually.

"No, I don't." Shinji admitted, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"They did what came naturally to them of course." Bren shrugged.

"Adam killed the bird for food, then Adam proceeded to stomp out the bush to try and scare out any animals that might be hiding in it, while Eve checked the tree for fruit." Dracan finished, standing from the pew that he had been sitting in, until then concealed by a hanging tapestry.  Rei also came from behind the same tapestry, holding to Dracan's arm tightly.

"Drac?" Shinji smiled slightly, as if relieved about something.  "How have you been?"

"I've been…  Busy, Shinji.  A lot has happened since you've been gone.  And now, a lot more will be happening now that you're here." Dracan sighed heavily.  In response to this, Rei squeezed lightly on his arm.

"Shinji," Rei, addressed him, "I believe it is your turn."  Shinji nodded slowly, turning back to what had been shown to him.  It truly was a beautiful sight to behold.  And the sound emanating from Bren's creation truly was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.  Shinji wasn't sure if he could outclass this work of perfection…

And then it hit him.  There was one thing that he knew of that was better than perfection…  That was more beautiful…

***

Yumi had never been so nervous to enter her own house in the entire time she had lived.  She was feeling so depressed right now, and so shallow…  She felt like the had just coated herself with so much filth that it would take says to wash it off, even though she was perfectly clean…  She didn't want to see Kensuke like this…  Because she would see him, and remember how she had been with him…  

How she had used him…

And she wouldn't be able to look him in the eye…  She didn't want to see him right now…  But Yumi just KNEW that he would be waiting there for her…  Like a lost little puppy…

"I feel so…  Tainted…" She muttered to herself softly.  She dropped to a sitting position and leaned against the two foot wall that separated her house from the sidewalk, sighing heavily.  "I really am alone…"

"That's not true, little sister.  You have a perfectly good boy in the living room waiting for you to come home.  That's not being alone, is it?" Came the voice of Yumi's sister, Cara, from no general direction.

"Cara!?  Where are you!?" Yumi jumped to her feet, looking around hastily.  In response, Cara seemed to step forward, through some invisible door, and appear right in front of Yumi.  Cara, smiling broadly, touched her sister lightly on the nose.

"Right here, Sis.  Right here." Cara said bending down slightly to meet her sister's eye level.

"Cara…  What happened to you!?  I thought that…  After that man came…" Yumi spoke as if she were about to cry.  Cara stood up strait, waving her hand in a dismissive manner while laughing lightly.

"OH, don't worry about that little incident.  A complete misunderstanding on EVERYONE'S part." Cara said nervously, putting an arm around her sister's shoulder.  "Right now, I'm fine.  What matters now is you and Kensuke."

"Me…  And Kensuke?" Yumi asked, baffled.

"Well, YEAH!  I mean, here's this really cute…  Well, maybe if you took off his glasses…  I mean…  Well, there's this really…  Um… There's this guy with a GREAT personality* just waiting for you in your house, like in one of those juicy mangas you're always reading," Cara chattered, stumbling over her words of comfort.

*I don't remember where I saw that, I think the old Garfield cartoon, but it was hilarious…  Apparently, "She's got a great personality!" means, "She's fat!", wonderful personality means she's enormous, and, "She's really a great person, she's got a wonderful personality!" means that she takes up two chairs at Old Country Buffet.  Now, I'm not saying Kensuke is fat.  I'm just using this as a scale of his desirability, if you will.

"As I recall," Yumi interrupted, "YOU are the one that likes those cheesy romance manga.  I always liked the battle mecha ones."

"Can I finish?" Cara gave Yumi a look of malcontent.  Yumi gestured her approval, sighing heavily.  "Well, anyway, you got this hot… Well, you got this guy waiting for you, and you're moping out here?  You should…  Like…  Do some grand entrance and get it on or something!"

"Unlike you, I don't do every guy I see, Cara." Yumi glared, turning away from her sister.

"Nevermind the fact that you already slept with the guy." Cara grinned broadly, snickering slightly.

"You know, and I was actually worried about you, Cara.  Now, you can go get eaten by an Angel for all I care.  I don't care where you've been, and I don't care where you're going after you're done with talking to me.  I hope it's strait to Hell." Yumi spoke emotionlessly, standing, heading towards her front door, stopping, turning back to the wall and leaning back against it.  "I hate you.  You know that."

"But Little Sis was so WORRIED about her big sister!" Cara said with fake sweetness in her voice, wrapping her arms around Yumi in a hug.  Yumi immediatley began trying to push her sister away, but to no avail.  "You know, if you want to know what happened, I can tell you.  But I'm kind of unsure when it gets to the part about the Jihad.  I was actually hoping we could go inside and ask Kensuke about that."

"Why would Kensuke know anything?  All he's been doing is sitting in my house and typing away at his keyboard!" Yumi growled, finally giving up trying to get her sister off her.

"It's BECAUSE he's been typing away at his keyboard that he knows so much.  Didn't you know that the internet is a vast source of knowledge about everything!?" Cara chastised her little sister.

"Of COURSE, Cara!  I'm sure you can just hop on Google and type in SEELE or NERV and you'll get complete access to all of their archives!  I'm positive!"  Yumi's voice overflowed with sarcasm.

"Actually, I heard from Greg that he hacked into the SEELE Servers and got the whole shebang of information as a reward."  Cara smiled slightly.  "Come on.  Let's go ask him.  I really want to know…"

"You're acting like a two year old, Cara." Yumi sighed heavily.

"Well, that's because I haven't been as happy as I am right now in a while." Cara chuckled slightly.

"What do you have to be happy about, Cara?  What IS there to be happy about!?  Everyone is either dead or in misery at this point!  It's like the world itself is giving up on itself!" Yumi hollered, throwing her sister's arms off of her.

"Well, Yumi, That's because it IS." Cara whispered solemnly.  "And Drew won't tell me anything because he doesn't want me to get involved…"

"Cara, is Drew really alive?" Yumi asked, rather shakily.

"Well…  He DID die, if that's what you're asking…  But…  He came back because…" Cara trailed off, turning her face away slightly, but not before Yumi saw the deep red across her cheeks.  "Well, he came back, and he did this really freaky thing to me…  He called it Awakening the Soul, but I think it was just how angels do it…  Anyway, he and SEELE are really going hardcore into the planning right now…"

"Cara, you're gibbering." Yumi sighed yet again.  "Why do I have to be the older sister right now?"

"WhatEVER, Yumi.  I'll always be the older sister, regardless of how mature I'm acting at the moment." Cara stuck her tongue out at Yumi, which provoked yet another sigh from Yumi.

"If you really want to talk to Kensuke, then we'll talk to Kensuke, alright?" Yumi stood and grabbed Cara by the arm, dragging her towards the house.  Yumi really didn't want to see Kensuke, because she KNEW things were going to be awkward, but she knew Cara wouldn't leave her alone until they did.

"That HURTS, Yumi!  You're squeezing my arm too tight!" Cara wailed in a 5-year-old voice.

"Stop complaining.  We're doing what you want aren't we?" Yumi grumbled.

"Yeah, but do you have to squeeze so HAAAARD!?!?"

***

After what seemed like an eternity, Shinji was finally done with his creation.  He held it clasped in both hands, and held it out to Bren so that he could examine it.  Bren reached to take the object from Shinji, a small, spherical crystal ball, and upon touching it, withdrew his hand as if he had been surprised by something.

Asuka could only wonder what was going on.  'Did Shinji win?  Did Shinji lose?  And why for CHRIST SAKE is Bren STARING at me like that!?' Asuka thought to herself.

Taking his gaze away from Asuka, Bren closed his eyes and sighed heavily.  "You win.  I'll take you to see Kaoru."  And even as he said it, the space behind him seemed to split open, no grand flashes of light or swirling pulses of energy, just as if someone had taken a scalpel to reality, and made a nice neat cut, parting it to reveal what was beneath it.

And through the cut, Asuka could see a very familiar place to her, one that she had met Kaoru in, and when she was given what she had been told to conceal, as well as when she renewed a promise to protect Shinji.

'Of course, the first time I made that promise, I was trying to creep him out…' Asuka recalled when she found she would be living with Shinji for the first time with a slight smile.

Bren stepped through the cut, and Shinji began to follow, but Asuka stepped forward, touching his shoulder gently.  "Shinji, I don't get it.  How did you win?  What was it that you showed him?"  Asuka asked, rather confused.  To this, Shinji smiled and touched the side of Asuka's face warmly.

"I showed him my love for you." Shinji said simply before stepping away from her, through the portal that Bren had made.  Before Asuka finally stepped through after him, Asuka smiled softly, only the edges of her lips curling upwards.

"Baka…" She whispered under her breath as she followed after Shinji without another word.

***

Yumi stared at the cup of tea that she had brought out for herself in silence, neither drinking it, nor actually looking at the tea for any other reason than it was something to look at other than Kensuke.

Kensuke found himself gazing too into the teacup in front of him, brought by Yumi, though he had not taken a drink, nor did he plan to.  The unpleasantness that had perforated the room when Kensuke and Yumi sat across from each other had made him reluctant to look anywhere but.

Cara sat at the small round table between the two, smiling broadly and sipping loudly at her cup of tea, happy that she was finally going to get some questions answered.

Yumi took her fingernail and ran it along the ridge of the teacup, making a slight scraping .  She felt really awkward being around Kensuke because she had used him when she really didn't feel anything for him other than friendship.

Kensuke coughed lightly, trying to break the silence, but for naught, as no one decided to speak up.  Kensuke didn't know what went wrong.  He thought Cara had finally chosen to be with him, and had decided to forget about Allen, but now, it was more awkward than it was before.

Cara continued to sip her tea, the cup having not left her lips since she had put it there.  Cara internally found herself complementing Yumi on her tea-making skills, as this had been the best cup of coffee in a while.  Cara found herself wondering if she could convince Yumi to cook dinner for her as well.

Yumi sighed heavily, very heavily, trying to convey her discontent that no one was talking, but offering no conversation herself, as she really didn't trust herself to open her mouth.  The only reason she had actually came in was because Cara was coming with, and she hoped Cara would keep the uncomfortable silence to a minimum.

Kensuke found himself looking other places than the teacup, the table legs, the fridge, the wall, the ceiling, anywhere but Yumi.  Perhaps she thought he hadn't performed well enough?  Maybe she was embarrassed  for him because he had done it really bad.  Now that Kensuke recalled, she had actually been crying for the first half…  He KNEW that she wasn't a virgin…  Did she think he was a total nerd do to his complete lack of sexual experience?

Cara finished off her tea and let out a great gasp of air.  "AAAAAAAH…!  That was good!"  Cara exclaimed, greatly unnerving both Kensuke and Yumi with the sudden break of the silence as they both turned to Cara with sweatdrops running down their temples.  "What?  Shouldn't you two be talking?  I'm drinking tea here.  Did Kensuke suck in the sack that much?"  After the question, Kensuke made a soud similar to, "Tohoho…" in a very depressed manner as Yumi turned bright red and stood up quickly.

"CARA!  I think that is awfully rude!" Yumi yelled, her ears now the color of beats.

"Well sooooooooooooorrrrryyyy!  I'm not here for that anyway.  I'm sure he's one of those early ones anyway."  Tear streams flowed from Kensuke's eyes as his manliness meter plunged deeper into the negative numbers it had already been at.  Cara sighed and continued as if nothing were the matter.  "Kensuke, you know stuff, so spill."  Cara stated bluntly.

"Stuff?"  Kensuke asked, depression disappearing almost instantly.  He was pretty sure what she was talking about, but he wanted to give her a hard time because of the last comment…  "Okay…  Let's see…  Yumi's measurements are 85/53/83, but I noticed last night that the first number has gotten bigger…"

"KENSUKE!" Yumi screamed, as her face could not get any redder, she increased the volume of her voice.  The truth was, her bust was now 87 cm, but that wasn't anyone's business, and she was rather curious how Kensuke had found out her measurements in the first place.  Of course, now wasn't the time to ask, but still…

"Sorry, sorry…  What is it that you want to know?  I'll get my laptop up and we can run a search." Kensuke smiled nervously, turning on the computer.  Yumi gave Cara a sidelong look, one of disapproval or of doubt, Kensuke couldn't tell.  One thing was apparent.  Cara was giving him a look, and this one was undoubtedly one of anger.

"You know exactly what we're talking about.  There's something going on right now, and rumor has it that you're the hacker you busted into SEELE a few days ago.  So spill." Cara glared, the cold look on her face telling anyone that she meant business.  At least she hoped.  She felt like an idiot, but that's because she was always used to either smiling or pouting to get her way…

"How did you find out about that…?" Kensuke asked nervously, sitting completely upright in the chair.  Kensuke didn't have his gun with him right now, so he couldn't shoot her…  'Maybe if I smash her on the back of the head…  WHAT AM I THINKING!?'  Kensuke scolded himself internally.  'She just wants information!  She's not bribing me or threatening to kill me!'

"Actually, I know the guy who got you in.  I told him I needed to know things, and since he didn't have the time, he gave me your name to come talk to you."  Cara explained with a carefree smile.  'Actually, I had asked him to give me information, and he said under no uncertain circumstances would he tall me anything, then he grabbed me by the hand and forcefully removed me from his office…   But he slipped me a piece of paper with Kensuke's name on it while he had my hand…  And the hacking was all over the newspaper, so…'

"…"  Kensuke said with purpose.  He had done that hacking anonymously…  How had the guy found out his name…?  Of course, that was irrelevant.  Kensuke could have found out the other guy's identity had the situations been reversed, so he thought nothing more of it as he began reluctantly.

"You want to know about this 'Holy War' that's going on then, right?" Kensuke sighed heavily, not wishing to give this information up, but feeling that there was no other way.

"So you DO know something?  How come you didn't tell me!?" Yumi demanded, hurt that Kensuke would hide this from her.

"Because I haven't SEEN you in the last few days, remember?  Where have you BEEN, anyway?" Kensuke asked, now remembering the question he had asked himself hundreds of times while she had been gone.

"Well!  Uh!  That is!  Um!  We are getting off track!  Back to the Jihad thing!" Yumi squirmed under the question before changing the subject.  She couldn't just go outright and say, 'I've been avoiding you because I don't care about you the way you want me to!'

"Alright…  Fine…" Kensuke nodded before going to his laptop and opening some folders.

"See, Yumi?  He's opening up Google." Cara rolled her eyes as she mocked her sister for her previous comment.

"Hush, you!"  Yumi flushed, turning to Kensuke to ask, "What ARE you doing?"

"I'm opening up the files." Kensuke said plainly as he unplugged the internet connection from his computer as he typed in his password for that particular folder, then opened the next folder, typed in the next, different password, and then went to a completely different directory and typed in yet another password before it prompted for a fourth, which he left blank and hit enter.  He did all this in the time it took for him to say those words.  All four windows closed as one opened, an MSWord document.

"Holy crap…" Yumi muttered under her breath.  Kensuke had done that fast…

"I set it so that I had to do it all that fast, and in that order, or the hard drive would fry." Kensuke gloated, grinning broadly as he double-clicked on a file INSIDE the word document. This was an encryption/decryption program.  Kensuke set the program to start decrypting the file, turning to the girls and taking a deep breath.  "That's going to take a while, so…  Where do we begin?"

"The beginning, please." Cara squealed happily, staring at Kensuke with starry eyes as she displayed a big goofy smile.  FINALLY she would be able to know what was going on…

Kensuke cleared his throat, pushed his glasses up on the ridge of his nose, and began.

End of Chapter 37

                Don't worry, my friends!  All will be revealed in the next chapter!  That might be the whole CHAPTER, actually…  But, oh well.  Might as well get the RRR on my case right away, as opposed to postponing it like I have…


	37. Chapter 38

****

Neon Genesis Evangelion:

The Darkness Emerges

By Doffman

This next chapter is basically Kensuke explaining to Yumi and Cara about, basically, everything in the plot. I wrote this for the people who weren't able to figure the plot out by themselves*, and also as a reminder about what has been going on. Those of you White Wolf Fans out there, you'll recognize Mages have a passing reference in here. 

*To be perfectly honest, had I not been the one writing it, I wouldn't have known what was going on either…

BTW…

DISCLAMNER!!!!1!1!1111 one one one

Neither White Wolf, Mage: The Ascension, nor Demon: The Fallen are owned by me, and are owned by those people who own it. I am not trying to make money off it or anything.

If you guys have any other questions you want answered, E-mail me. I'm not guaranteeing that you'll make it through, though because I've been getting a lot of Spam as of late, and the cancel subscription button that those things have on the bottom doesn't work at all.

Chapter 38:

The Plot Thickening made Thinner

"You want to know about this 'Holy War' that's going on then, right?" Kensuke sighed heavily, not wishing to give this information up, but feeling that there was no other way.

"So you DO know something? How come you didn't tell me!?" Yumi demanded, hurt that Kensuke would hide this from her.

"Because I haven't SEEN you in the last few days, remember? Where have you BEEN, anyway?" Kensuke asked, now remembering the question he had asked himself hundreds of times while she had been gone.

"Well! Uh! That is! Um! We are getting off track! Back to the Jihad thing!" Yumi squirmed under the question before changing the subject. She couldn't just go outright and say, 'I've been avoiding you because I don't care about you the way you want me to!'

"Alright… Fine…" Kensuke nodded before going to his laptop and opening some folders.

"See, Yumi? He's opening up Google." Cara rolled her eyes as she mocked her sister for her previous comment.

"Hush, you!" Yumi flushed, turning to Kensuke to ask, "What ARE you doing?"

"I'm opening up the files." Kensuke said plainly as he unplugged the internet connection from his computer as he typed in his password for that particular folder, then opened the next folder, typed in the next, different password, and then went to a completely different directory and typed in yet another password before it prompted for a fourth, which he left blank and hit enter. He did all this in the time it took for him to say those words. All four windows closed as one opened, an MSWord document.

"Holy crap…" Yumi muttered under her breath. Kensuke had done that fast…

"I set it so that I had to do it all that fast, and in that order, or the hard drive would fry." Kensuke gloated, grinning broadly as he double-clicked on a file INSIDE the word document. This was an encryption/decryption program. Kensuke set the program to start decrypting the file, turning to the girls and taking a deep breath. "That's going to take a while, so… Where do we begin?"

"The beginning, please." Cara squealed happily, staring at Kensuke with starry eyes as she displayed a big goofy smile. FINALLY she would be able to know what was going on…

Kensuke cleared his throat, pushed his glasses up on the ridge of his nose, and began.

"Well, at first, when I got all of the information, I thought it was a load of crap, because it sounded like a completely different testament to the Bible… And there were a lot of references TO the Bible in the information, as well as a lot of notes pointing out things that were wrong. It said that, in the beginning, when God created the planet, our planet, he didn't just take a bunch of rocks and throw them together, like most people think.

"God had sealed a whole bunch of energy that holds the planet together, gives it gravity, and actually allows us to LIVE on it, otherwise it would have been a lot more difficult to do, and it would take a bit longer than a day. The power necessary to do this was very vast; this power, if used in one blast, would have been enough to rival God. Another thing that this power allowed for was the passage of souls to Heaven, or NOT to Heaven."

"You mean Hell?" Yumi asked, wondering why he didn't just say 'Hell'. Maybe he thought Hell was a cuss word and didn't want to say it? But she had heard him say A LOT worse before…

"Well, in extreme circumstances, yes. There were SOME souls that God felt the need to send to Hell, but I looked it up, and… Turns out that Hell is a place God throws the very worst of his creations. It's the place where we would throw people like Saddam or Hitler." Kensuke shrugged.

"But I thought that if we were good, we were supposed to go to Heaven, and if we were bad, we'd go to ol' Hellfire and Brimstone." Cara rubbed her chin in thought. "Are you saying that a lot of people go to Heaven? Or does everyone become a GHOST when they die?" Cara asked the last part rather excitedly, making ghost sounds afterwards.

"Another thing that the Bible has wrong. Hell isn't filled with flame. It is merely the absence of God, and therefore the absence of existence. There you feel no outside stimuli, yet are completely conscious. And no, you do not become ghosts after you die SO STOP MAKING THOSE NOISES!" Kensuke began irritated, then finished with a yell.

"Jeez… Chill… You're acting like someone _walked over your grave_ or something…" Cara chuckled. Kensuke sighed and continued.

"Though some people DO become ghosts, the majority do not. When you die, your soul is judged. If you were good, you go to heaven, and if not, you go back, and you are reincarnated, of sorts. Ghosts are the ones who resist, and eventually, their spirits fade away and die without a connection to the planet. It's a lot like Final Fantasy 7 in a way, only this power doesn't get used up. It multiplies.

"The power has HAD to increase as the people of the planet increase. So there are more souls being created as we speak. This power had become a big problem. When God created the planet, and man, Lucifer, God's most powerful angel, saw the potential for this power, and as he was a little irked at God because of this little Adam thing, don't even ASK me to go into THAT one, he spiked the punch at the party in Eden.

"Now, when God kicked Lucifer out of Heaven, and forgive me for the bad choice of words, all hell broke loose. Lucifer and God fought with armies of angels. There were some who believed in what Lucifer was trying to do because they were angry at the Adam thing too, so they went with him in trying to take the power from the planet and use it against God. The whole war was trying to prevent them from doing just that. And thankfully for us, God won.

"So everything was all kosher for a while. Lucifer was on the planet, his army was in Hell, and man was multiplying at a steady rate. The planet's power was increasing with man, and it was only a matter of time before this power in the planet was enormous. Today, this power is enough to wipe the slate clean; destroy all existence, and create a new one of the creator's own wish.

"A while back, a really long time before the birth of Christ, the people in charge decided that they needed to hide the fact that this power existed, so they messed with the Bible, and his some things and changed some others. Unfortunately, this came to be a habit for the people in power, so today the Bible is hodgepodge, and this was BEFORE the New Testament and the King James Version!

"After a while, around a century or so ago, a group was created in order to seek out the truth, and right the falsehoods that were concocted ages ago, calling themselves NOAH."

"NOAH!? I know all ABOUT those crazies!" Yumi screamed. "They kidnapped Drac and did all kinds of freaky experiments on them! Was that the 'All holy' thing to do!?" Yumi growled, seething with anger. Kensuke shrunk down under the table until only his eyes were showing.

"Let the boy finish, Yumi! Jeez! Organizations get corrupt, don't they!?" Cara crossed her arms, seeming rather upset as well.

"Actually, they had good reason for what they did to Drac, and it seemed like a pretty good idea…" Kensuke piped up in a very small voice.

"WHAT REASON COULD THEY HAVE IN DOING WHAT THEY DID TO DRAC!?" Yumi yelled at Kensuke at full volume. Kensuke replied with a high-pitched squeal, which could have been words, but sounded more like a mouse squeaking.

"Would you just let him finish!? He'll get to that in a second!" Cara repeated what Kensuke had said, under his breath, in a very meek tone.

"Fine. Continue. But it better be good." Yumi glared at Kensuke, still angry with him for what he said, but curiosity got the better of her anger.

"Anyway…" Kensuke continued, "You all know about Revelations, right? The last book in the New Testament? Well, God called it off. We weren't able to figure out why*, but God called it off, and took 150000 or so people to Heaven, and left about 10 thou' here to try to fix the baddies, and he left it at that. But there were a group of angels that didn't like that idea.

*{This was explained in a previous chapter. The Son of God asked God to call off Revelation, because he believed that he could save ALL of man, and not just the good souls. God gave him what he asked for, and sent him to Earth in the body of a newborn baby, Shinji}

"They went to earth themselves to purge the planet, and to save the good souls that were trapped here. But what the angels weren't expecting was that Lucifer had made a pact with Adam, and that he was getting ready to unseal the planet's power.

"At this point, the angels approached NOAH, knowing that, as a rebel faction, they would get no help from God, and NOAH, in exchange for the truth, began preparations to defeat Lucifer. You see, it was prophesized that Christ was supposed to come back and wallop Satan around the block when Revelations began. Since Revelations were cancelled, Christ wasn't coming anytime soon, so they had to improvise."

"Improvise?" Yumi asked as her face turned white. "What exactly did they do to Drac…?"

"Basically, in essence?" Kensuke asked, tilting his head. "They cloned Jesus, or rather, cloned his soul, so that he could fight Adam/Lucifer when the time came."

"Oh God…" Yumi muttered, covering her face with her hands.

"Tell me about it. Thing is, they didn't get to finish before SEELE nixed the project, and as that was where the major funding was coming from, it had to be stopped. As you know, Yumi, Brad was the head scientist on this project. What you may not know is that at that time, Brad was already the head of NOAH at that time, and he saw what needed to be done. He chose Drac because he wanted his step-son to have the honor of being the savior of mankind."

"But… But still…" Yumi shook her head slowly. "Why did they have to do all that to him? Drac had told me it was so painful…"

"Yes, rending, tearing and altering one's soul can be quite." Cara commented blandly. At this point, Kensuke sighed heavily and took a sip of the tea set before him, which had, by now, gotten cold.

"This isn't funny, Cara!" Yumi slammed her hand on the table.

"Seriously. Yumi, you interrupt too much." Cara shrugged, putting her arms behind her head and crossing her legs on the table. "Let the boy finish, I say for, what, the fifteenth time?"

"You've said it, maybe twice, Cara." Yumi gave her a look as though she were conversing with a child. "Whatever… Just… Go on, Kensuke…"

"Er… Right…" Kensuke set the teacup down, continuing his monologue of sorts. "Where was I… Yeah. Drac. Well, after they did all that, and it was canceled, there came a problem. You guys should remember this. SELEE made an attack on Drac's home to… Dispose of the experiment.

"Unfortunately for them, Dracan was the only one to survive the assault, and it killed his mother and baby half-brother. After that, Brian came by and gave Dracan the ultimatum of his life, to join the Organization that Brian was just starting. At this point, when he agreed, Dracan was agreeing to a question asked by someone else, as well. Dracan gave up his body to an Angel by the name of Omoni, who had been sent to Earth as Ayanami Rei's Guardian Angel.

"Rei had a guardian angel?" Yumi asked.

"HUSH!" Cara hollered, and Kensuke went on as if nothing had been said.

"This is why, when Brad later 'completed' the change, it was flawed. Because he was making the alterations to the new soul, and not Dracan's the one they had started on. So Omoni was MAJORLY fubar from that point on. Anyway, what Dracan had been meant to do, and what Omoni is NOW meant to do, is get the power in the planet before Lucifer, and get rid of all the evil souls in the universe. Like _Holy_ in Final Fantasy 7."

"Didn't Holy try destroy the entire planet in Final Fantasy 7…?" Yumi muttered softly to herself, and Kensuke ignored it.

"Actually, until they found out about Lucifer, NERV had this really hardcore idea about this Humanity project or something like that… But now NERV, it seems, is siding completely with Shinji."

"Siding with Shinji? Why would they do that?" Yumi asked, confused.

"You're interrupting again." Cara pointed out.

"No, this time, she's right to interrupt. I forgot to mention that. It blew me away when I found out." Kensuke grinned, holding his chin with his hand.

"Found out what?" Yumi asked, on the edge of her seat.

"Well, when NOAH went off and tried to clone Christ, they were jumping the gun." Kensuke's grin grew broader.

"W-why…?" Yumi asked as her eyes grew wider with Kensuke's grin.

"Because he had already been sent, in the body of a baby boy at the turn of the century." Kensuke raised an eyebrow. "They didn't find it out 'til later, with the virgin birth by Yui Ikari."

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!" Yumi blurted out, obviously surprised by this news.

"Wow. You went to a party with Jesus as your date, lil' sis. Good job." Cara grinned broadly, letting out a chuckle.

"Like I said before, when I found out about it, I was kind of surprised too. One of my best friends is the Son of God. I mean, I leant Jesus my fricking PORN mags! What is THAT supposed to mean?" Kensuke asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Kensuke, as I'm certain that neither Cara nor I want to hear about your Porno magazines, videos or anything else relating to those, I suggest you get on with the story." Yumi said, giving Kensuke a sideways glance.

"Right. What was I talking about?" Kensuke asked.

"Shinji being Jesus." Cara offered.

"Right. Anyway, Shinji had no idea who he was, or why he was here. Neither did he know that God had thrown Jesus' wife on the planet too, in the body of a redhead that some of us may know." Kensuke smiled even broader.

"This is getting even better…" Yumi said, resting her forehead on the table.

"Aww… So sweet. Shinji and Asuka being soul mates and all. Whoopty." Cara said, spinning her index finger in a circle, speaking as if she were not particularly enthused. "Where does Drew come in with all of this?"

"Drew? He was one of the very first members of a group of people formed to combat NOAH, because they saw NOAH as the ones in the wrong. This group, to hide the people within as well as hide its presence, chose to decline even giving it a name, and chose to call itself 'The Organization' to keep it ambiguous. I'm sure you're both familiar with it, right?" The other two nodded.

"Anyway, Drew was to be the trump card in all of this, because the Organization needed money to run. So they stuck Drew in to be a butler for Mr. David Harper, keeping his identity a secret from most of the rest of the Organization.. This was easy to do, as by then, the organization had grown to be huge, and, excluding the founders, hardly anyone else knew the names of over four other members."

"I'll vouch for that." Yumi nodded, recalling how surprised she was to find out Drac's involvement with the group.

"Drew covertly led Harper into joining the Organization, as well as helping with the funding. To this day, Harper still does not know about Drew's involvement. Anyway, when Harper was tacked into the mix, the Organization had enough power to start throwing its weight around. Something that, after the party that Cara mentioned previously, became very useful. When Drac was abducted, Both the Organization and SEELE moved in to destroy NOAH. The Organization pulled out before the building went up in flames, and the majority of SEELE's forces were decimated. The Organization finished them off, and was nominated the new SEELE by the UN.

"But the REAL reason why Drew is so important, is that he died, then came back to Earth with the status of Arch Angel. He has taken a seat on the SEELE head council."

"What is SEELE's importance in the grand scheme of things, anyway? What is their ultimate goal?" Yumi asked.

"SEELE… Is complicated. You know about in the revelations, the seven seals and the book that was supposed to unseal them?" Kensuke asked.

"No." Cara admitted.

"Never spent much time reading the bible as neither of us are Christians." Yumi pointed out, raising an eyebrow at Kensuke. Kensuke's laptop chimed loudly.

"Ah, HA! Perfect timing." Kensuke exclaimed, typing and clicking his mouse with fervor.

"Um… What are you doing?" Yumi asked.

"Looking something up… Here it is. Revelations 5:6… 'And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.'

"5:7'And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne…' Seven heads. Seven horns. Don't know about the Seven eyes, but hell. The prophecy is confusing enough as it is. SEELE is the key to opening the seals, or so it's been translated."

"So… Drew is going to help in saving the world?" Cara asked hopefully.

"Not quite. When the power is released, this planet will die. It's up to the wielder of the power what would happen after the planet dies. Supposedly, Shinji doesn't plan on using the power at all, but what Drac would do with the power is have one final judgement on the souls of this world. Then, he'd leave the ones that didn't pass, or at least, their souls, floating around where the earth USED to be until their souls faded away to nothing."

"Cool beans." Yumi said, staring blankly at Kensuke. "And why would Drac do that?"

"I don't know. Because that's what was foretold by the newest Messenger of God upon his appointment. A name you guys might recognize. Kaoru?" Kensuke asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Fifth child? Nerv said he was killed in a freak accident when an Eva went out of control." Yumi stated, slightly curious.

"Actually, he was one of the Angels who came trying to destroy the planet. The reason why his sync scores were so high was because of this." Kensuke pointed out.

"You know, after hearing so much, the shock factor of learning new things has gone down quite a bit." Cara stated, snagging Yumi's teacup.

"Here, here…" Yumi said, her face in a state of perpetual shock, oblivious to the fact that her teacup was stolen.

"The old Messenger of God went to the new land with God and his chosen. And another thing to top it all off, Heaven is all but empty right now. There are the angels we fought up there, plus Kaoru. And there's yet another angel on Earth right now, going by the name of Bren. He's been toying with us all along." Kensuke said, turning back to his keyboard and typing at a rapid speed.

"How has he been toying with us? I haven't even heard of him…" Yumi asked, a baffled look on her face.

"He's been hiding these." Kensuke said plainly, turning the Laptop towards them. On it were several different X-rays of children with a very out of place bone folded in their backs, connected to their shoulder blades. "That one's Asuka, that one's Drac, and that one's Rei." Kensuke said, pointing to each respectively.

"What _IS_ that!?" Yumi jerked backwards, appalled by what she was seeing. Cara smiled, put down Yumi's now empty teacup, and turned around, taking off her shirt. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CARA!?! Put your clothes back on!" Kensuke went into his wallet and pulled out a twenty, offering it to Cara. He was immediately hit in the head with the teacup Cara had just put down.

"Just watch." Cara said, pointing to her back.

"Don't mind if I do." Kensuke said, smiling broadly.

"My back, moron! Don't let me catch your eyes looking anywhere but, you hentai!" Cara growled in a deep, inhuman voice as a crimson liquid suddenly shot in long streams from Cara's back, and blood covered, but otherwise pure white wings protruded from Cara's back.

"…" Kensuke said plainly.

"Eeeeeee…" Yumi emitted, as it was apparent that she was trying very hard not to faint. Cara flapped the wings a little to shake off the blood.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Cara asked with a broad grin, turning back around and taking a seat.

"Eeeeeee…" Kensuke emitted, grinning sheepishly. Cara blinked several times, slapped Kensuke across the face, and pulled the tablecloth off the table to wrap around herself. The remaining two teacups fell to the floor with a smash.

"That was our best china too…" Yumi complained, resting her head on her elbow. "Well, dear sister, now that you have just flashed my friend your wings, and your cleavage, I think we should let Kensuke continue.

"Interruptions, interruptions, however pleasant, only end up wasting time…" Kensuke muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Cara asked, looking particularly annoyed.

"Er… Nothing." Kensuke replied, continuing as per Yumi's recommendation. "The things you see in the X-rays, as Cara has just showed us, are wings. They are the sign that your soul has been awakened."

"What is this… Awakening that I keep hearing so much about?" Yumi asked, rather perplexed. Kensuke stroked his chin in thought for a while before coming up with an answer.

"Well… Humans are generally… It's hard to explain…" Kensuke , scratched the back of his head nervously. "Humans have this thing in them called an Avatar. With most humans, it's asleep. But in the case of Cara, that Avatar has been Awakened. It isn't asleep anymore."

"See? That wasn't complicated, was it?" Cara asked Yumi, nodding several times.

"What's an Avatar?" Yumi pushed.

"Er… Well… An Avatar… It's a thing that lets you… In essence, shape reality to your own will. It lets you bend and sometimes even break the rules of science, nature, and even possibility." Kensuke explained.

"Why would that make us Angels, then…?" Yumi asked. Kensuke didn't like giving the answer that he was about to give.

"It shouldn't."

"I don't get it…" Cara interrupted. "If it shouldn't be happening this way, then why is it?" Alas, Kensuke had to give yet another answer he did not want to give.

"I don't know…"

"Kensuke, you're not helping any!" Yumi growled.

"WHAT!? I don't know! Maybe it has something to do with the layers of reality and stuff like that!" Kensuke let out defensively.

"Layers of reality?" Cara asked, now even more confused than she was before.

"God couldn't touch creation directly, so he created the Angels to do it for Him. They made a whole bunch of layers in reality because humans couldn't comprehend such complex things as God and His Majesty or some shit like that. We call them Dimensions."

"Dimensions? Like… Planes and stuff like that?" Yumi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, nothing so sci-fi… I mean… Like Length, width, height, et cetera…" Kensuke sighed.

"Ah! Right! I remember something about that! We're supposedly able to see in the 3rd dimension, right?" Yumi asked, excitedly.

"Yup. But there are other dimensions above us that we can't see normally, and even more still that we can't even comprehend. For instance, we have the dimension of time, the 4th dimension, which we exist in, but cannot actually see. Then, we have the 5th dimension that we can comprehend too, but nothing really beyond that." Kensuke pointed out.

"What's the fifth dimension, then…?" Cara asked flatly.

"The best I can explain this as is that the 4-dimension were Fate, time being an absolute thing, unable to be affected by those inside it. Existing in Time lets you manipulate everything below that dimension, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd dimensions, but you are unable to manipulate the 4th. The 5th dimension is chance, or the ability to go against fate. You exist in the 5th dimension, and can manipulate the 4th. This gives you the ability to create Alternate Universes and such…" Kensuke shrugged.

"So… What does this have to do with being Awakened?" Cara asked.

"Well, normally, when you are Awakened, you are given the ability to manipulate the 1st three dimensions of space in any manner you wish, and not just confined by the laws of physics. It seems that you must have been pushed one step further, being able to manipulate the 4th dimension, and making you exist in the 5th."

"OOOOO~! Does that mean Fate's my bitch!?" Cara asked, smiling broadly.

"Erm… Kinda… In a way… The rules don't really apply to you in the same way they do to us…" Kensuke muttered. "But really, all that doesn't really matter anymore, because Shinji can manipulate the 5th dimension." Kensuke pointed out.

"What does that mean…?" Cara asked curiously. "Does this mean that Fate ISN'T my bitch?"

"Erm… Well, basically, it means that Shinji gets a list of all the possible outcomes of the universe, and he goes, 'Alright, I want to be in that one'. So it really doesn't matter what you do anymore, Cara, because we're all going to be doing what Shinji wants anyway." Kensuke pointed out. Yumi developed a very worried look on her face.

"Um… That's really scary… Are you saying he could just… For instance, pick a dimension that we're not in and say, 'POOF! You're gone!'?" Yumi asked.

"Well, not exactly. He'd have to choose from a set of events that already exist. He could have you run over by a car, for instance, by choosing the path that the driver decided to have just one more drink, making his reaction time a little slower…" Kensuke shrugged. "There's no use worrying about it, though. If it's going o happen, it'll happen. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Because it's Fate, I guess." Yumi nodded a bit, signifying that she understands.

"Or in my case, a chance that Shinji wants to happen." Cara pointed out.

"Right." Kensuke confirmed.

"So… Does that mean that Shinji exists in the sixth dimension?" Cara asked.

"Yeah. But we are unable to fathom what that dimension is, because our minds are to confined. You have the potential to understand it, Cara, if someone explained it to you, because you have been brought into the 5th dimension."

"Hell, I don't even understand that." Cara glared at Kensuke, pouting and crossing her arms.

"The potential. Not the actual brain power." Kensuke commented under his breath.

"What was that, Kensuke? I didn't quite catch that…" Cara asked with a growl in her voice.

"I didn't say anything. Really." Kensuke said with a nervous smile.

"So you're saying, basically, that all of existence is in Shinji's care?" Yumi completely ignored the last bit of bickering.

"Well, in essence, yes. It's all up to Shinji. The thing is…" Kensuke trailed off.

"What?" Cara asked.

"I'm not all together sure whether Shinji will just throw it all onto Drac, and leave the rest to him. Shinji has always run away from confrontations before this… He never stood up for himself… And taking it upon himself to save existence… I'm not sure if he'd actually do it…" Kensuke explained.

"What would happen if Drac were to try to save the world instead of Shinji?" Cara asked.

"I don't know*. All I know is that it would be bad." Kensuke said, shaking his head.

{Insert bad endings one and two. Allen's ending got me hoards of hate mail, so chapter 35 sits, and will remain, half done on my computer. Some will notice the gap in the chapter numbering, and if you did, you are very observant.}

"Hmm…" Cara scratched her head thoughtfully. "So I guess all we can do is hope, then, right?"

"Hope for the best, and plan for the worst is what Mom always says…" Yumi commented. "But I have a feeling that no matter how well prepared we are, if the worst happens, we won't be able to do anything about it…"

***

-Meanwhile, zooming over to Doffman the Great's dorm room…

"Hey, all!" Doff speaks aloud as he types. "There are a few things that Kensuke did not mention because of tact. This would have gotten him stabbed n the eyes, and therefore he chose on to say them.

"For instance, lets start off from when Drac's half-brother is killed, along with his mother. Brad took the young Allen's body, and then regenerated it, spliced it with half of Adam (the other half is in Ikari's arm), and then sped up its age so that he could be equal age of the other Children. Little did they know that Lucifer had made a pact with the little Allen, and they now plan to destroy the world and make it anew. 

"Of course, poor Allen just wants to end the suffering. He wants to create the world again and make it so that it has no suffering. But Lucifer has gotten sick of the humans, and wants to get rid of them and start over with him ruling all, using Allen as a puppet. (Man being destined to rule for God after he leaves the world, and Adam being the first man, etc etc.)

"But if you've read the Allen ending, like you know doubt have, you know how that turns out. But if it makes you feel any better, Allen does eventually create his own new world, even though it is very empty and lacking in just about everything but purity and innocence."

"Would you stop talking to yourself in there!? It's annoying!" Doff's roommate, Boof shouts from the kitchen.

"YEAH!? YEAH!? WELL…! Your mom gives lousy HEAD!" Doff shouts back.

"WELL YOUR MOM GIVES GREAT HEAD!" Boof counters.

"F*ck you, man! I so did not want to know that!" Doff cries out.

Doff's next door roommate IM's him.

**AcidTablet98: You two better stop arguing before I decapitate you with a belt sander!**

'Er…' Doffman types, 'I think I'm done for today. Thanks for reading and keep sending me those reviews. I just love 'em so much!'

End of Chapter 38


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